Updated Dec 24, 2020 | 18:30 IST
This is for the first time the BJP has registered a win in the Valley while facing regional heavyweights like the NC and the PDP. Its three winning candidates are now facing the spotlight. Engineer Aijaz Hussain won from Khonmoh-II seat in Srinagar | Photo Credit: Twitter
Key Highlights
The BJP may have emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded District Deveolopment Council polls in Jammu and Kashmir, but it is celebrating 3 wins in particular.
Three of its candidates in the Kashmir Valley - viz. Aijaz Hussain, Aijaz Ahmad Khan and Minha Lateef won from Khonmoh-II seat in Srinagar, Tulail seat in Bandipora district and Kakpora in Pulwama respectively.
A day after BJP emerging the single largest party in the DDC polls, Union minister of state for finance and BJP s poll in-charge for J&K, Anurag Thakur, who oversaw the recently-held DDC polls for his party in the UT, tells TOI’s Rohan Dua that the large number of contestants, high voter turnout and BJP’s are a referendum on PM Narendra Modi.
BJP has emerged as the single largest party in the first local body polls in UT after August 5, 2019 re-organisation of Jammu and Kashmir. How satisfied are you? There were 57 lakh voters and 51% voted in the first ever DDC polls. As many as 2,178 candidates, of which 450 were women, contested. This shows that a large number of people were interested to contest and come out to vote despite our opponents creating anti-national sentiments over Article 370 annulment.
J&K DDC polls: Big wins, narrow defeats
While the turnout in most south Kashmir constituencies, especially in Pulwama and Shopian, was low, the region witnessed some close contests. December 23, 2020 6:02:44 am
Voters at a polling booth in Bandipora district. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
From a woman who originally came from Muzaffarabad to a former minister, a senior Congress leader and former legislators to the children of senior mainstream political leaders, the DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir saw a galaxy of candidates trying their luck. Here are some of the big winners and losers in what is the biggest democratic event in the new Union Territory:
Highlights
The BJP emerged as the single largest party as it won 73 seats including three in the Kashmir Valley for the first time.
The PAGD bagged over 100 seats
Forty-seven Independents, mainly disgruntled leaders from all political parties, were declared winners and six more were leading in other seats.
Srinagar/Jammu: The seven-party People s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) led by Farooq Abdullah has won over seats in the maiden District Development Council polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Till the last reports came, the PAGD had won or was leading in 112 seats out of 280, followed by the BJP which emerged as the single largest party as it won 75 seats including three in the Kashmir Valley for the first time.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the results of the just concluded District Development Council elections in Jammu and Kashmir should act as an eye-opener for the BJP which had made these polls a prestige issue and a referendum on the revocation of Article 370 last year. The trends that have emerged in the DDC polls in JK are very encouraging for the @JKPAGD. The BJP had made this election a prestige issue about Art 370 and JK s special status. The people have now spoken and it s for those who believe in democracy to pay heed to these voices, he tweeted.