Saffron reigns in Shopian with 13 local Muslims

Srinagar, October 3

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The BJP will control the municipal council in militancy-infested Shopian district of south Kashmir after 13 of its candidates won the civic body polls unopposed with most people preferring to maintain a distance from the electoral exercise following threats by terror groups.

State BJP chief Ravinder Raina said all 13 candidates are local Muslims. Shopian district, which has been the battle ground of numerous encounters between militants and security forces, has a 17-member municipal council. The BJP fielded candidates for 13 wards while no nomination was filed for the remaining seats.

“We had only one nomination each for 13 wards while no nominations were received for the four other wards of the Municipal Council, Shopian,” an election official said on Wednesday.

The BJP claimed it was a “historic win”. Rainasaid “our motto is development of all and we will do justice to all kinds of people. We are extremely happy.”

However, political observers do not read much into the BJP’s ‘victory’ and feel that the elections were ‘meaningless’ after the NC and PDP decided to boycott the elections over the Article 35A. — PTI