Jammu: Nineteen constituencies saw an extremely close contest in the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir, with the margin of victory being less than 100 votes.
Of the candidates who won in these constituencies, eight are Independents, three of the BJP, two each of the National Conference and the Congress, and one each of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and the Peoples Conference (PC), as per data of the state election authority.
Avtar Singh, a Sikh who contested as Independent in Dadsara constituency of Pulwama district, won the DDC polls by just three votes.
Singh polled 246 votes while rival NC candidate Ali Mohmmad Bhat polled 243 votes.
Khalid Bibi won Larnoo segment of Anantnag district on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket with a margin of seven votes as she polled 4,580 votes against Independent candidate Sajida Begam, who polled 4,573 votes.
Two candidates lost by just 11 votes. Former BJP minister Sham Lal Choudhary lost in the Suchetgarh constituency of Jammu district after getting 12,958 votes while Independent candidate Taranjit Singh secured 12,969 votes. Independent candidate Bilqees Jan won Zainapora-I seat in Shopian district by defeating her rival candidate Gul Iqbal. She polled 9,342 votes while Gul polled 135 votes.
Two candidates won by just 14 votes in Udhampur and Pulwama districts. Ashu Sharma of the BJP defeated Panthers party candidate Rishma Sambyal in the Tikri seat of Udhampur district by 14 votes.
In the Qamarwari constituency of Srinagar district, Independent candidate Yaseen Rather won by just 21 votes defeating rival candidate of JKAP, Parvaiz Mir.
The PAGD swept the maiden DDC polls by winning 110 seats, while the BJP emerged as the single largest party by getting 74 seats after securing the largest vote share in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday.
The results of four constituencies – one each in Bandipora and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir and Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu region – were awaited. PTI

Press Trust of India