Synopsis
Gupkar Declaration has won 94 seats in the first District Development Council elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of a total of 280 seats, the 7-party alliance won seats mainly in the Kashmir valley, while BJP won 68 seats, 65 in the Jammu region.
Agencies
Gupkar Declaration has won 94 seats in the first District Development Council elections in Jammu & Kashmir. Out of a total of 280 seats, the 7-party alliance won seats mainly in the Kashmir valley, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 68 seats, 65 in the Jammu region. Congress won 20 seats across the Union Territory, while Independents won 41.
The J&K Apni Party, nicknamed the King's Party for the alleged BJP support it enjoys, won 10 seats. The JKPDF, BSP and Panthers Party managed to get a seat each. Results to 39 seats were awaited at the time of going to press. PAGD was leading in 20 of them, while BJP and Congress were leading in six each. Independents and other parties were leading in the 5 seats. Counting in Kupwara’s Dragmulla and Bandipora’s Sonawari, in northern Kashmir, were deferred following complaints that two women contestants were from Pakistan occupied Muzaffarabad. Several of the 41 Independents are likely to join any of the major political formations and would decide on who gets to assume power in each of the District Development Council. In Srinagar, out of 14 constituencies, seven seats were won by Independents, three went to J&K Apni Party and one each by PDP, NC, BJP and J&K People’s Movement.