PAGD wins DDC chief polls in 2 dists

Srinagar, February 10

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) — an amalgam of six political parties seeking restoration of the special constitutional status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir — won the elections to the posts of chairperson of the District Development Council (DDC) in two districts of the Valley on Wednesday, officials said.

In the third phase of the polls on Wednesday, the elections were conducted in two districts of the Kashmir valley — Ganderbal and Pulwama — and the PAGD, which includes the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won at both the places.

While the NC bagged the post of the chairperson from Ganderbal, a PDP candidate was elected as chairperson in Pulwama, the officials said.

In Ganderbal district in central Kashmir, NC candidate Nuzhat Ishfaq was elected as the chairperson, while Bilal Ahmad Sheikh of the PDP was elected as the vice-chairperson of the DDC, they said.

Nuzhat is the wife of NC leader and former MLA from Ganderbal Ishfaq Jabbar.

‘Showed exemplary character, courage’

Congratulations to DDC members of Pulwama & Ganderbal for showing exemplary character & courage. They stood by PAGD despite unimaginable pressures & threats.  — Mehbooba Mufti, PDP president

In the DDC polls for 14 seats in the district, which took place in December last year, the NC had won seven seats while the PDP bagged four and three went to the kitty of Independents.

In Pulwama district in south Kashmir, PDP candidate Syed Bari Andrabi was elected as the chairperson, while NC candidate Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh as his deputy, the officials said.

The PDP had emerged as the single largest party in the district by bagging half of the total 14 seats.

The PDP’s DDC member Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, who was arrested by the NIA first and later by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) and is yet to take oath as a DDC member — could not participate in the election to the post of chairperson and vice-chairperson, the officials added. — PTI