On counting eve, BJP exults in ‘first K-win’

M Aamir Khan & Samaan Lateef
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, October 18

Even as vote counting for the municipal elections is scheduled on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already in a celebratory mood. The leaders and workers of the Kashmir unit of the party were in high spirits today after BJP state general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul chaired a meeting at the Jawahar Nagar party office to celebrate its ‘big victory’ in the urban local bodies elections.

“He (Koul) chaired a meeting before leaving for Kargil….the Kashmir cadre was congratulated for putting in a lot of hard work that resulted in our big victory. When other parties shied away from participating in the elections, our workers came forward while braving threats. This is for the first time that the BJP will win an election here and the lotus has finally bloomed in Kashmir,” said BJP media in charge Manzoor A Bhat.

While a good number of BJP candidates are set to win unopposed, the party is also confident of winning wards amid a low poll percentage in the Valley. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the party had fielded 34 candidates but all of them had lost. In fact, 33 candidates had even lost their security deposits.

BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said they had won uncontested from around 70 wards while hoping that Srinagar would get a mayor from the BJP. “We are also hopeful of winning over 30 wards from Srinagar and we are confident that we will have a mayor from our party,” he added.

However, People’s Conference (PC) president Sajad Lone, who is an ally of the BJP, also appeared confident of having the Srinagar mayor from his party. “All set inshallah to have the first mayor from PC. Expecting very good results. Time to give Srinagar what it deserves. A set of hardworking people who work there on the ground,” Lone tweeted.

Lone, who is a legislator from north Kashmir’s Handwara constituency, also hoped to win from other municipalities of north Kashmir. “The PC is all set to take over urban bodies in Kupwara, Handwara, Langet, Sumbhal, Pattan among others. Let us hope we are able to contribute to planned urbanisation, which I believe is the future,” he said.

Will take 150 wards: Saffron party

BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur claimed the party was expecting a win in around 150 wards in the Valley. "While over 70 candidates have won uncontested, we expect to emerge victorious from 80 other wards as well," he said.

Both BJP, Lone's party eye Srinagar mayor's post 

• BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said the party was hopeful of winning over 30 wards from Srinagar and was confident that the mayor would be from the party
• However, People's Conference (PC) president Sajad Lone, who is an ally of the BJP, also appeared confident of having the Srinagar mayor from his party. "All set inshallah to have the first mayor from PC. Expecting very good results," Lone tweeted