Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar (NVI): The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a group of seven political parties, has won over 90 seats while BJP emerged as the single largest party in the District Development Councils (DDC) polls, even as the counting of votes was still underway.
As many as 39 seats were bagged by Independent candidates, while the Congress party won 20 seats.
So far, the result indicates that PAGD has emerged as the major winner in the Kashmir valley even as BJP has maintained its dominance in the Jammu region. The Centre-backed Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party has failed to make a mark.
In a significant victory for BJP, the party has won three seats in an election in Kashmir for the first time, as trends emerged.
BJP’s candidate in Khonmoh block, Ajaz Hussain won the seat by a margin of 442 votes, defeating his rival Ghulam Hasan from Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), who got 381 votes. BJP’s Ajaz Hussain secured 823 votes.
The victory of Hussain had become clear after he managed hidden support from a top Shia cleric. The constituency represented by Hussain is Shia dominated.
Ajaz Hussain after the victory said he will work for his people and development will always be on his agenda. He thanked people and top BJP campaigners including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain.
The saffron party also bagged Tulail seat in far-flung Gurez area in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district, where its candidate Ajaz Ahmed Khan emerged the winner. However, an official announcement about his victory was still awaited.
In militancy infested South Kashmir, another BJP candidate has secured a seat. The party won this seat from Kakapora block of Pulwama. BJP had won 3 seats from Kashmir till the filing of this report.
However, BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur lost Dadsara seat in South Kashmir by a thin margin.
In another development, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth president Waheed ur Rehman Parra, who is currently in NIA custody, has won from Pulwama. He got 1,322 votes. His closest rival, Sajad Ahmad Raina of BJP got 314 votes.
Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PADG) candidates were leading in most of the constituencies in the Valley while BJP seems to be at the forefront in Jammu.
The results will decide the fate of 4,181 candidates, including 450 women, who contested from 280 DDC seats in J&K. Polling was held across eight phases between November 28 and December 19.
-ARK
