BJP surge in Valley, slips in Jammu

Dinesh Manhotra
Tribune News Service
Jammu, October 20

Even as the BJP made inroads into several parts of the Kashmir valley owing to the poll boycott call by the two regional parties, it failed to retain its hold over Jammu areas. The party won a majority in 18 of the 79 municipalities across the state and the Congress 10.

Voting was not held in 27 civic bodies in the Valley either because there was no candidate or only one had filed nominations for a ward. 

Of the total 1,145 wards across the state, elections were held for 716, with 244 candidates elected unopposed while there was none for 185 wards. The  BJP won 312 wards and the Congress 267. The BJP won 12 civic bodies, including the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and six municipalities in the Valley — Shopian, Devsar, Mattan, Pahalgam, Qazigund and Watergam.

Though the saffron party won the prestigious JMC, bagging 43 of the total 75 wards, it  failed to retain its hold in Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi and the erstwhile Doda district comprising Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar.

In Kathua district, the BJP managed to get a majority in only Hiranagar, winning seven of the 13 seats. Kathua district is seen as a BJP citadel. The party had won all five Assembly seats in this district in 2014. It was owing to a substantial lead from this district that the BJP had won the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat. The party did not win a single seat in the Kalakote municipality even though the BJP MLA from Kalakote served as a minister in the PDP-BJP government for more than three years.

Despite the BJP losing ground, the Congress failed to perform well, winning a majority in only three municipalities — Jourian, Thanamandi and Banihal. 

The BJP suffered a jolt in Kishtwar, bagging only one of the total 13 seats.