The People’s Allaince for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the seven-party alliance of Jammu and Kashmir seeking restoration of Article 370, seems all set to win a major chunk of seats in District Development Council (DDC) polls in Kashmir while the BJP is leading in the Jammu region.
The DDC polls in Jammu and Kashmir are being held for the first time after the Centre amended the J&K Panchayat Raj Act 1989 following the reading down of the Article 370 in August last year.
Till 7pm, the PAGD had won 25 sears and was leading in 71 seats in Kashmir. In Jammu, it had won eight and was leading on 48 seats. The BJP, for the first time, won two seats in Kashmir. One each in Srinagar’s Kanmoh-II and Bandipore’s Tulail.
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The JK Apni Party (JKAP), an ally of the BJP, failed to make a mark.
The Congress had bagged four seats and was leading on 19 seats.
The PAGD put up an impressive show in Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag in south Kashmir. The alliance was leading on 34 of the 49 seats. The independents were ahead on 10 seats and Congress on 5 seats. In north Kashmir, the results were a mixed bag, with both PAGD candidates ahead on 13 of 34 seats and independents on 11.
In all, 280 DDC members will be elected in 20 districts of the Union Territory.
The independents are likely to hold the key after the final results are out and the race for the chairperson’s slot in DDC begins. The BJP, sources said, has planned to woo independents for support in the race to elect 20 DDC chairpersons in 20 districts. The eight-phase DDC polls began on November 29 and ended on December 19.
The DDC elections have become a direct clash between the BJP and PAGD. The PAGD’s decision to contest the DDC polls despite anger against the revocation of Article 370 made the election a high-profile event.
If the PAGD had stayed away from the polls, the BJP, JKAP and independents would have swept the polls. That would have pushed the NC, the PDP and others to the fringes of JK’s political landscape.
The PAGD's impressive showing in the polls will not only redeem the alliance but also rejuvenate their cadre after the crushing setback due to removal of Article 370.