Precious Kashmir

DDC poll results change political equations in Jammu and Kashmir

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23/12/2020

DDC poll results change political equations in Jammu and Kashmir

Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Dec 22: Results of the District Development Council elections have made it explicitly clear that political equations in Jammu and Kashmir have changed drastically post abrogation of Article 370.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “It’s crystal clear that if Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) remains intact it would give a tough fight to other political parties.”
It’s in place to mention here that PAGD—an amalgam of Kashmir based parties— was formed just one month before the DDC polls were announced in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s headed by National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is the vice-president while chairman of Peoples Conference Sajad Gani Lone is the spokesman of the amalgam. The PAGD also comprises of few other parties like Awami National Conference and CPI (M).
The analyst said, “These results have set the tone and tenor for the forthcoming assembly elections that are likely to be held after the delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir is completed. If the PAGD decides to contest the forthcoming elections collectively we can see many more interesting contest in future that will have altogether different permutations and combinations.”
A politician said, “The emergence of PAGD is an indication that the Kashmir based parties cannot afford to part ways in future. These political formations will have to stay together to pose any challenge the other parties.”
He said, “Bharatiya Janata Party, Apni Party and the independents too have won good number of seats. If the voting trends remain same in the forthcoming assembly elections anyone can rule Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days. These polls have made it clear that dynamics of politics in J&K has changed completely. The parties which were bete-noire in the past will have to shun their differences to remain relevant in J&K, especially in Kashmir.”
The politicians said, “Many of us were under the impression that PAGD won’t contest the DDC polls but the leaders decided to jump into the fray as most of them realized that if they decide to boycott it will lead to their parties becoming irrelevant. The results have proved that decision taken by the PAGD leaders has helped the amalgam and other Kashmir based parties.”
An observer said, “We have to see how these DDC boards will function after these are formed. Will these boards really help the people or these will just be symbolic? In coming days many things will become clear.”

DDC Poll Results: PAGD heading towards majority, BJP second

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Precious Kashmir

23/12/2020

DDC Poll Results: PAGD heading towards majority, BJP second

Alliance likely to win 115 seats, BJP 77, Apni Party 11, independents 54

Srinagar, Dec 22: Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration—an amalgam pf Kashmir based parties including National Conference (NC) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI (M), Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) and Jammu Kashmir People Movement (JKPM)— was heading towards majority in the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections held in the union territory.

As the vote counting for DDC elections—first ever polls after the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K— was going on when this report was filed the results for 247 constituencies were declared of which PAGD—an amalgam of mainstream parties— had won 97 seats (NC 57, PDP 26, JKPC 6, CPI-M 5, JKPM 3), BJP had won 70 seats, independents 44, INC 22, JKAP 10, JKNPP 2, PDF and BSP one each.

According to the figures available on the official website, https://ceojk.nic.in/, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was leading in over 18 seats.

The counting is going on and it seems that the PAGD would attain the figure of 115 while BJP would likely bag 77 seats. It is predicted that INC would bag 26 seats while JKAP would secure 11 and independents would emerge victorious on 54 seats.

The vote counting would end probably late in the night as the counting on was going on when the report was last filed.

Pertinently, the DDC polls were conducted in eight phases from November 28 this year and witnessed a huge participation of people across Jammu and Kashmir in all the eight phases.

The former minister and Congress leader Taj Mohi-ud-din, wives of former legislators in Kashmir were among the candidates who were in the electoral fray.

A total of 280 constituencies went for polls in eight phases while 2178 candidates were in the fray.

In Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the counting ended in the afternoon. Out of 14 constituencies, seven seats were bagged by independent candidates while JKAP secured three and PAGD emerged victorious on three seats.

SEC Sharma appreciates counting staff

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23/12/2020

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Dec 22: The State Election Commissioner (SEC), K K Sharma has lauded the efforts of all the employees engaged in the counting of votes for all the DDC Constituencies that began at 9.00 am today in all the 20 Districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

The SEC said that despite the cold conditions prevalent in the Valley and other parts of Jammu province, officials associated with the counting and allied arrangements have put in extraordinarily efforts by reporting at the designated places for counting halls at 06.00 am. While the actual counting began at 09.00 am, and was complete in many places and is likely to continue till midnight in few of the Constituencies.

The State Election Commission shared the trends and the results of Constituencies as these were pouring in through its website https://ceojk.nic.in/ by updating the information on it on a continuous basis. The information made available on the Commission’s website was displayed in all the media centers set up by every district at the venue of counting. The State Election Commission appreciated the efforts of NIC, State Informatics Officer, Abhay Kumar, his team and also the team led by Baiju Ubbot.

The State Election Commission also informed that counting was deferred in Drugmulla, Kupwara and Hajin-A, Bandipora constituencies in view of a question that has arisen on eligibility of one each contesting candidates from the seats and added that a final decision in this regard shall be taken after taking all aspects into consideration.

While the counting of votes is still going-on, the results have been declared for 247 constituencies in which BJP has won 70 seats, NC with 57, independents 44, PDP 26, INC 22, JKAP 10, JKPC 6, CPI-M 5, JKPM 3, JKNPP 2, PDF and BSP one each.

SEC also complimented all the district administration for the arrangements that were put in place for the counting process besides ensuring smooth conduct of the election process.

New Variant Renews Virus Threat

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Precious Kashmir

23/12/2020

A new variant of the novel coronavirus found in Britain has caused fear. The variant appears no more lethal than the original Sars-coV-2 but is much more transmissible. The ripples are not restricted to Britain alone where sixteen million people are already under new severe tier 4 restrictions but have been felt globally.

Already nearly a dozen countries in Europe and elsewhere including India have banned travel from the U.K in hopes of keeping the evolved virus at bay.

As per the preliminary study of European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the variant has the potential to increase by over 0.4 the number of people a person can infect. So far there is no evidence that it can cause any change in disease severity or increase the risk of reinfection.

The new strain was initially detected in September and has been expanding rapidly over the past four weeks. In theory, a virus showing improved transmissibility could threaten any nation with more infections, suffering and death.

It is established fact that all viruses mutate. Many mutations are insignificant and disappear. But sometimes a small change in the genetic code can give the virus an advantage in the pressure-cooker environment of natural selection. While there are many unknowns, scientists looking at genetic sequences of the new strain see an unexpectedly large number of changes — 17 mutations all at once — and some of them concern the spike protein, the device by which the virus attaches to the human cell. There may be a purely biological explanation for the increased transmissibility. One is perhaps the spike protein has improved its function, which might lead to fewer viral particles triggering an infection or a higher viral load in each person, causing a more rapid proliferation to others. Human behavior is also believed to have helped boost the transmission with superspreader events and crowds of people without masks in the UK.

The good news is that, so far, the new strain does not appear to produce a more severe disease outcome or higher mortality. Hitherto, it does not seem to threaten the viability of the first vaccines either. Also, only a few cases caused by the new variant have been reported and the extent of international spread still remains unknown.

The virus crosses an invisible bridge between people when they are in close contact. The best and only defense right now are non-pharmaceutical interventions by closing that bridge with prescribed distancing, masks and good hygiene.

Jailed PDP youth president wins DDC elections

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Jahangeer Ganaie

22/12/2020

Jailed PDP youth president wins DDC elections

Jahangeer Ganaie

Pulwama, Dec 22: People’s Democratic Youth President Waheed Ur Rehman Para on Tuesday won DDC elections from the Pulwama-1 constituency by over one thousand votes.

Officials said that he got 1322 votes while as running candidate BJP district president Sajad Ahmad Raina got 314 votes, so Para won by 1008 votes.

Five days after filling his nomination papers, Para contesting elections first time was arrested by NIA in New Delhi on 25 November over have links to a Naveed Babu-Davinder Singh militancy case.

Para was booked for his alleged links with Irfan Shafi Mir, who was arrested along with Hizbul Mujahideen militant and was remanded to 15 days NIA custody two days later.

On December 20, NIA sent him to 30 days judicial custody. Earlier, Para was also kept under detention for about six months after abrogation of article 370 on August 5 last year.

Meanwhile, PDP president and former CM Mehbooba Mufti while expressing her happiness over his win said that it couldn’t be prouder of PDPs Waheed Pata who won his maiden election by a huge margin and hope justice prevails.

“Couldn’t be prouder of PDPs @parawahid who won his maiden election by a huge margin of votes. Despite being arrested on baseless charges right after filing his nomination people have shown their love & trust for Waheed. Hope justice prevails,” tweeted Mehbooba—(KNO)

Independents win 7 seats in Srinagar

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22/12/2020

JKAP secures 3, NC, PDP, BJP, JKPM bag one each
Srinagar, Dec 22: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has managed to secure a seat in the District Development Council (DDC) polls while the independents have emerged victorious on seven seats in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the details available with KNO, independents have bagged seven seats out of 14 in Srinagar.
The seven DDC seats bagged by independents include Harwan-I, Harwan-II, Harwan-IV, Harwan-VI, Qamarwari-I, Qamarwari-II and Srinagar-I. According to the details, Shaista Aslam, an Independent candidate has bagged 474 votes in Harwan-I.
In Harwan-II, Ali Mohammad Rather, Independent candidate has secured 314 votes. In Harwan-IV, Rizwana Bano, another Independent has bagged 410 votes, the details available said, adding that Harwan-VI was bagged by Independent candidate, Mohammad Shaban Chopan by securing 609 votes.
In Qamarwari-I, Qamarwari-II and Srinagar-I were bagged by Independent candidates including Jameela Begum by 418 votes, Mohammad Yaseen Rather by 156 and Bilal Ahmad Bhat by 482 votes respectively.
National Conference (NC) candidate, Kaisar Ahmad Ganie has emerged victorious from Harwan-III constituency by securing 502 votes while Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) candidates including Shabir Ahmad Reshi from Harwan-V, Malik Aftab from Srinagar-III have emerged victorious by bagging 399, 213 and 274 votes respectively.

However, three parties Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), BJP and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) have won one seat each. BJP candidate Aijaz Hussain Rather has won Khanmoh-II by bagging 823 votes while PDP candidate Manzoor Ahmad Bhat and JKPM candidate Afroza Banu won by bagging 615 and 532 votes respectively.

JKPCC president’s son loses Verinag seat

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22/12/2020

Srinagar, Nov 22: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir’ son Naseer Ahmad Mir on Tuesday lost the District Development Council (DDC) polls in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Naseer, who contested from the Verinag constituency lost to independent candidate Peer Shahbaz Ahmad.

Son of the JKPCC president, Naseer Ahmad Mir had plunged into electoral politics for the first time.

His father, a former minister, has been the JKPCC president for two consecutive terms since 2015.

Ghulam Ahmad Mir had also lost his last election when he contested the Parliamentary polls from the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. He was defeated by National Conference’s Hasnain Masoodi in the 2019 polls.

Taj Mohiuddin wins in Uri

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22/12/2020

Srinagar, Dec 22: Former Minister and veteran Congress man Taj Mohiuddin today won the DDC elections in Paranpelan Uri constituency.
Talking to KNS, Taj Mohiuddin said, ” People didn’t vote on the basis of caste, creed and group. People of UrI understand this and gave votes on basis of development.”
Regarding the filing of FIR against him by law enforcement agencies, he said, ” It happens in politics. Credit goes to people of Uri. I pray to God to give me opportunity to serve my people again. Grassroot panchayat not a big post but electing me for the post shows the love of people and I will ensure grassroot level development.”

Counting stopped for Hajin-A, Drugmulla over Pak contestants

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22/12/2020

Bandipora/Kuwpara, Dec 22: Counting of votes for Hajin-A and Drugmulla constituencies of DDC in Bandipora and Kupwara Districts was stopped as one of the contestants happen to be a Pak resident, officials told GNS on Tuesday.

The contestant from Hajin-A, Shazia Aslam is said to be brought up in Muzzafarabad area of Pakistan administered Kashmir, and married to a Kashmiri militant, Mohammad Phapoo who then surrendered and even participated in assembly elections later.

At the time of acceptance of her nominations, Shazia told reporters that that wives of the former militants currently in Jammu and Kashmir, who crossed the Line of Control through a rehabilitation policy, should live their life with peace and dignity.

Meanwhile, authorities stopped counting for Drugmulla constituency as one of the contestants—Somaya Sadaf— also belongs to Pak and has been married to a local resident.

Independents sweep ULB elections in Langate wards

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22/12/2020

Jahangir Lolabi

Kupwara, Dec 22: Authorities on Tuesday declared results of all the three Urban-local bodies (ULB) seats in Langate of Handwara.

The winning candidates are Mohammed Yousaf Thoker from Ward number 3, Gulshana Majeed from Ward number 5 and Shahnawaz Abdullah from Ward number 5.

It has been learnt that all the winning candidates had contested the elections as Independent.

Meanwhile counting process for the first ever DDC elections is going on across various constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir and results will be updated accordingly. (GNS)

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