Srinagar: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has managed to get control of only five out of 17 districts in Jammu and Kashmir so far despite winning highest seats (102) in the first ever District Development Council (DDC) elections .
The Chairperson and vice-chairperson of 17 out of 20 districts has so far been elected while voting on three districts is yet to take place.
The PAGD, an amalgam of six parties including National Conference, PDP, CPI, CPI(M), JKPM and ANC, won 102 seats out of 280 seats in DDC elections followed by BJP-75, Congress-26.
Under the first ever DDC polls held last year, each district was divided into 14 segments and the elected candidates are in the process of electing district chairpersons of 20 districts.
The PAGD, which was expected to make chairpersons in 13 districts with the support of Congress, suffered a massive setback after Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference quit the alliance and tacitly joined hands with Apni Party to defeat the Gupkar Alliance candidates.
The PAGD has managed to form DDCs only in five districts in Valley so far.
There were many winning candidates who contested on NC and PDP tickets but later joined Jammu Kashmir Apni Party.
Apni Party won just 12 seats across J&K but formed DDCs in two districts of the Valley — Srinagar and Shopian.
Bukhari’s party is considered close to the centre and NC and PDP have been accusing it of being “B-Team” of the BJP. The Apni Party was floated last year following the abrogation of Article 370.
While independents and Peoples Conference won three other districts of Kashmir-Budgam, Baramulla and Kupwara.
On the other hand, BJP has won six districts of Jammu region so far including Jammu, Doda, Samba, Reasi, Kuthua and Udhampur. While independents managed to win Poonch district. The three districts Kishtwar, Rajouri, Ramban, where NC and Congress combine are in majority, elections are yet to take place for chairpersons.
Senior National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah has alleged that money, muscle, threats and coercion were being used to facilitate horse-trading and defections.
NC president Farooq Abdullah has also raised the issue in the Parliament. (KINS)
