Team News Riveting
Srinagar, December 23
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party in the District Development Council (DDC) elections in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) although the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) emerged as the winner.
Election Commissioner K K Sharma on Wednesday declared the final results for the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections in the union territory.
According to the final tally, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which among others includes regional heavyweights National Conference and PDP, won the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls by bagging 110 seats while the BJP emerged as the single largest party by getting 75 seats.
The BJP also got the maximum vote share in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I congratulate all the candidates who have won the DDC elections. With the active participation of people, the voting percentage was higher, and polling was peaceful. Results were declared for 278 seats and deferred for 2 seats,” he said.
The counting of votes for the 280 DDC constituencies — 14 each in 20 districts — started on Tuesday morning after the peaceful conduct of the eight-phase election from November 28 to December 19. This was the first democratic exercise in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories last year.
Out of the 278 seats for which results have been declared by the J-K Election Commission so far, besides the PAGD and the BJP, Independent candidates have won 50, Congress 26, Apni Party 12, PDF and the National Panthers Party two each and the BSP one.
Two Pakistan-occupied Kashmir nationals (PoK), who are married to former militants, were among the contestants from the Dragmulla constituency in Kupwara and Hajin-A in Bandipora. The state Election Commissioner has directed the returning officers concerned to defer the counting of votes in the two constituencies till further orders, the officials said.
