Srinagar/Jammu: A lack of quorum forced adjournment of polls in three of the four districts in Jammu region.
In Jammu, voting could not take place in the three districts of Ramban, Rajouri and Kishtwar where PAGD enjoys the majority and was poised to head the DDCs with support from Congress or independents.
The National Conference which along with the Peoples Democratic Party is the main constituent of the PAGD, which emerged the largest party in Ramban and Kishtwar by winning six seats each, besides five seats in Rajouri district.
Against the requirement of 10 members out of total 14, only nine members each, mostly from PAGD and Congress, attended the meeting in Rajouri, Ramban and Kishtwar districts, prompting the concerned district panchayat election officers to adjourn the meetings citing lack of quorum, the officials said.
They said the date for the second meeting would be notified by the authorities separately but the quorum for the second meeting will be eight as the rules mandate that election will take place if only simple majority is present.
While Kishtwar and Ramban are reserved for women, Poonch is reserved for scheduled tribe woman and Rajouri for Scheduled Tribes.
However, elections were held in Poonch district where independent candidate Tazim Akhtar was elected to the post of chairperson and Mohammad Ashfaq won the post of vice chairperson.
“I will work with passion to ensure development of the border district,” Akhtar said after becoming the first DDC chairperson in Poonch.
Akhtar was among eight independents who had won the maiden DDC elections held in November-December last year from Poonch. Congress had got four territorial constituencies and National Conference (NC) two in the district.
In Kishtwar, NC DDC member from Thakrai territorial constituency, Shareefa Begum along with a sarpanch Farooq Ahmad joined J&K Apni Party (JKAP) on the day of the voting.
Senior National Conference leader from Ramban Sajad Shaheen accused the BJP of using different tactics to pressurize DDC members into submission.
“The DDC members are being offered money and bungalows to change their loyalties. Those who are not ready are being threatened along with their families,” he claimed.
In the earlier three phases covering six districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Doda and Reasi, the BJP had won six DDC chairpersons’ and five vice-chairpersons’ posts, while one vice chairperson post was secured by an independent candidate in Reasi district. PTI

Press Trust of India