Srinagar: Taking a dig at the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that the alliance had failed to woo voters despite ruling J&K for three generations, while the saffron party had bloomed and emerged at the top in the District Development Council (DDC) polls.
BJP National General Secretary and in charge of J&K, Tarun Chug, while speaking on the sidelines of a party function at Tagore Hall here, said that the “Gupkar Gang” despite having ruled Jammu and Kashmir for the last three generations and armed with several former chief ministers and ministers, could not secure the vote of 18 lakh voters who supported the BJP in the DDC polls.
“Why didn’t 18 lakh people vote for them, despite ruling here for the past three generations, while having five former CMs, two dozen ministers and seven parties in the alliance? They still failed to get 18 lakh votes in their favour,” he said.
He added that these parties should think as to why they were rejected by a large number of people across J&K. “Why lotus has bloomed in Jammu and Kashmir and emerged as the single largest party in the DDC elections?” he asked.
He said that the candidates fielded by the PAGD in DDC elections didn’t use their photos on the banners during the election campaign. Also, he added, ‘’the leaders of ‘Gupkar Gang’ didn’t campaign for their candidates after getting no invitation from the side of people. To cover this up, they later staged drama to show people that they were not being allowed to move out.”
Expressing joy at the party’s performance in the DDC elections, Chug said that Assembly elections in J&K will also be held soon.
When asked about the several number of people detained for months
in Kashmir, he said that people will have to follow the Constitution of the country. “People should forget terrorism, and turn towards tourism, industrial growth and development of J&K,” he said.
He added that the large portion of J&K which has been controlled by Pakistan will also be retrieved. “Now there will be talk about taking back every inch of land, and we’ll take back the land controlled by Pakistan soon. We will go to Muzzafarabad and hoist the Tricolour there. That is everyone’s wish.”

KALEEM GEELANI