Apni Party wins 2 DDC chief’s posts, PAGD 1

Srinagar, February 6

The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), led by former Finance Minister Altaf Bukhari, has won the elections to the post of chairperson of two of the three District Development Councils (DDCs) in polls held on Saturday, officials said.

The elections to the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson were held in three districts of the Valley — Srinagar, Shopian and Kulgam — in the first phase on Saturday.

The JKAP would be heading the DDCs in Srinagar and Shopian, while the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) — the amalgam of six mainstream political parties — would head the DDC in Kulgam.

Our politics based on honesty

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We are a new party and our politics is based on honesty. I thank the people for showing faith in us. —Altaf Bukhari,  JKAP Chief

In Srinagar, JKAP candidate Aftab Malik bagged 10 votes, while his rival bagged only three votes, the officials said.

They said the JKAP’s Bilal Ahmad managed to win the vice-chairperson’s post by securing nine votes, while his PDP rival Manzoor Ahmad Bhat bagged only four.

The BJP’s lone DDC member from Srinagar, Ajaz Hussain, also supported JKAP candidates for both the posts, they said.

In Shopian district of south Kashmir, the Apni Party won both the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson.

The officials said JKAP candidate Bilqees Akhtar polled eight votes, while her rival candidate from the PAGD secured six.

They said the vice-chairman post was decided through a draw of lots as there was a tie and it was also won by the JKAP.

Bukhari congratulated the winning candidates and exuded confidence that they would work for the people.

While the PAGD did not win in the two districts, it had a reason to cheer in Kulgam, also in south Kashmir, where the CPM candidate M Afzal was elected the chairperson and National Conference’s Shazia Jan as vice-chairperson.

“Congratulations to Comrade M Afzal of our party CPM for being elected as DDC chairperson of Kulgam district and Shazia Jan of the NC as vice-chairperson. We thank and appreciate the cooperation of all the elected DDC members of Kulgam for consensus and unanimity,” CPM leader MY Tarigami said. — PTI