In results of 247 of 280 seats, NC gets 57, PDP 26, BJP 3 in Kashmir and 67 in Jammu

Srinagar: In the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls held across J&K, the Peoples Alliance of Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) bagged an overwhelming majority of seats in Kashmir valley, followed by Independent candidates. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won just three, though it secured the majority of seats in Jammu division.
The 280 DDC seats — 14 in each of the 20 districts of J&K — that saw polling in eight phases were the first elections after the abrogation of Article 370 and downgrading of J&K’s erstwhile status as a state to a Union territory last year.
According to the official figures, in results declared for 247 seats, the PAGD won 98 of the 280 seats, with the National Conference (NC) winning 57 seats, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 26, the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) 6, the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) 3, and the Communist Party Marxist (CPIM) 5.
The independent candidates, who contested the DDC polls in a significant number, were able to secure as many as 44 seats across Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP had won 70 seats in the results declared so far, three of them in Kashmir — Khonmoh II in Srinagar, Tulail in Gurez, and Kakapora in Pulwama district.
The Indian National Congress had won 22 seats across Jammu and Kashmir while Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party had won 10 seats.
The lesser known parties of J&K, including PDF, BSP, and JKNPP, also opened their accounts with the JKNPP winning 2 seats and the PDF and BSP winning one apiece.
In Baramulla district, Choudhery Taj Mohiudin, former minister of the Congress, won the Paranpilla constituency in Uri while Mohammad Ismail Khan of PAGD won the Boniyar seat in Uri. Er Razia Hassan of PAGD won in Narvaw, while Advocate Qurat ul Bashir of PAGD won the Baramulla seat.
Shabir Ahmad Lone of PAGD won in Rohama and Parmeet Kour of People’s Conference who was supported by PAGD won in Rafiabad area. Muzaffar Ahmad Dar, son of former MLA Sopore Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, who was an independent candidate but was supported by PAGD won in Tujar, and Shah Jahan Dar of PAGD won in Zaingir Sopore.
In Sangrama, independent candidate Irfan Hafeez Lone won the seat by defeating PAGD candidate Suhail Bukhari and Apni Party candidate Shoaib Nabi Lone. In Wagoora, independent candidate Safeena Beigh, wife of former deputy chief minister Muzafar Hussain Beigh, won the seat, defeating PAGD and Apni Party candidates by a huge margin.
In Pattan, Sonaullah Parray of PAGD won the seat while People’s Confrence candidate Nagma Begam who was supported by PAGD won the seat of Singpora.
In Tangmarg, Apni Party candidate Mir Tajamul Ishfaq won the seat while in Kunzar, Nazir Ahmad Sheikh of Apni Party won.
In Budgam, National Conference bagged the majority of seats. The NC had won at least six of the fourteen DDC seats when this report was filed and it was leading in two more seats.
The party’s candidates, Insha Showkat, Riyaz Ahmad Rather, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Sayika Akhter, Nazir Ahmad Jahara and Mrs Afroza won from Chadoora, Narbal, Pakherpora, Parnewa, Surasyar and Nagam constituencies, respectively.
Apart from NC, JKPM’s Saima Jan won B K Pora DDC seat by obtaining 2335 majority votes, PDP’s Fayaz Ahmad Malik won Soibugh seat by getting 2894 votes while independent candidate Nisar Ahmad Sheikh won the Khag DDC seat by obtaining 1945 votes.
Another independent candidate, Nazir Ahmad Khan, was leading in Beerwah seat with 3442 votes to his name.
Besides, two more candidates, Sonaullah Dar of the PDP and Rozia Bano of the PDF, were also leading in their respective DDC seats of Rathsun and Sukhnag.

  Kashmir 370

KALEEM GEELANI