PAGD wins DDC chairperson election in Bandipora

Srinagar/Jammu, February 13

Elections to the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson of the District Development Councils (DDCs) were held in two districts of Kashmir in the final phase on Saturday, while a lack of quorum forced adjournment of polls in three of the four districts in the Jammu region.

In the fifth and the last phase of the polls, the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons for the DDCs in Baramulla and Bandipora, both in north Kashmir, were elected on Saturday, the officials said.

Independents bag posts in Poonch

• In the Jammu region, while Independents won both the posts in Poonch district, voting could not take place in the three districts of Ramban, Rajouri and Kishtwar due to lack of quorum.
• In Poonch, Tazim Akhtar was elected chairperson of the DDC and Mohammad Ashfaq vice-chairperson.

They said the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) won the election to the post of the chairperson in Bandipora district and an Independent candidate won from Baramulla.

In Bandipora, candidate of the PAGD Abdul Gani Bhat from the NC was elected the chairperson, while Kaunsar Shafeeq of the PDP was elected as the vice-chairperson, the officials said.

In Baramulla, where the election was postponed earlier this week due to lack of quorum, an Independent candidate, Safina Baig, won the election to the post of the chairperson, while Sonullah Parrey of the People’s Conference bagged the position of the vice-chairperson, the officials said.

The PAGD has won five chairperson posts in the Valley after the successes in Kulgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama and Anantnag. — PTI