The People's Alliance For Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an alliance of seven regional parties seeking restoration of Article 370, has taken a lead over the BJP in the District Development Council (DDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Counting of votes in the DDC polls started at 9am on Tuesday. Voting had been held for a total of 280 seats, with 2,178 candidates contesting.
At 1pm on Tuesday, trends from 193 of the 280 seats showed PAGD was leading in 70 seats and had won three. The BJP was ahead in 50 seats, while the Congress was leading in 20 seats and had won one. Others, including independents, were leading in 35 seats and had won seven seats.
Final results are expected to be known by Tuesday evening.
Notable winners, so far, include Aijaz Hussain of the BJP, who won from Khanmoh-Second seat in Srinagar and Salman Sagar, former Srinagar mayor and son of senior NC leader Ali Sagar, who won from Solina as PAGD candidate.
The counting is taking place at the district headquarters with adherence to COVID-19 protocol.
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The counting is being recorded by CCTVs in every counting centre.
According to reports, counting of votes had been stopped at Hajin A and Drugmulla constituencies in Bandipora and Kupwara, respectively, as two of the candidates in the two constituencies happen to be residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and are married to two men from Kashmir. The two men had gone to PoK for arms training but raised families in Jammu and Kashmir. They returned to Jammu and Kashmir under the rehabilitation policy announced by the then state government of chief minister Omar Abdullah in 2010.
The DDC polls are a direct contest between the PAGD and the BJP; however, judging by the trends, many independents are also in the race.
(With inputs from Tariq Bhat)
