Mir Mudasir
The polls for the posts of chairmen and deputy chairmen of District Development Council were filled in last two weeks. BJP and PAGD emerged as two big blocks, while PAGD an alliance of six parties before Sajjad Lone quit the alliance had won 110 seats in 280 across ten districts.
In Kashmir PAGD controls 5 out of 10 DDC’s, two by independents, 2 were won by Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari while Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference bagged one seat of Kupwara.
Earlier, PAGD was eyeing to win nine out of 10 DDCs; however, some of the DDC members cross voted or changed their parties and voted against the alliance candidates. Peoples Conference which contested DDC polls as part of the alliance also quit the PAGD before the elections. In Jammu, BJP managed to win chairmanship and deputy chairmanship of six districts while one was won by the Apni Party.
From Baramulla, independent candidate Safeena Baig won by securing 10 votes. The polls were deferred in Baramulla earlier after seven members didn’t turn for voting on 8 February.
However, later on Saturday all the members were present and Safeena bagged 10 votes while PAGD candidate Qurat Bashir got four votes. Baramulla was reserved constituency for women. Safeena is wife of former MP and deputy Chief Minister Muzuffar Hussain Baigh and was also president of PDP women wing. However, she resigned before DDC polls along with her husband Muzuffar Hussain Baig who also served as patron and founding member of the PDP.
Safeena was supported by Peoples Conference which had 3 votes and Apni party that had two votes, besides independent candidates.
In Bandipore PAGD candidate Abdul Gani Bhat won the chairman and Kousar Jabeen as deputy chairman posts. After this win PAGD has emerged as single big alliance in Kashmir. From Srinagar Aftab Malik of Apni party won the post of chairmanship, while PAGD’s Nuzhat Ishfaq got elected from Ganderbal on the ticket of alliance, from South Kashmir PAGD managed to win three councils, Anantnag, Pulwama and Kulgam while Apni party bagged Shopian seat after the independent DDC members joined Bukhari.
From Bandipore also alliance candidate Abdul Gani got elected. The lone seat for Peoples Conference came from Kupwara after party candidate Irfan Panditpori son of a former assembly member bagged eight votes. Likewise Budgam seat was grabbed by independent candidate, Nazir Khan who was district president of PDP and had a long association with the party, however, the mandate wasn’t given to him which prompted him to contest as an independent candidate.
Though the alliance claim that it has eight members, however, the independent candidate and the alliance candidate had seven votes each and Khan won through a lucky draw.
Later eight DDC members also showed up at the residence of former J&K chief minister, Omar Abdullah who alleged the election was stolen from the alliance candidate.
Both Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah important leaders of the PAGD blamed the administration for creating hurdles and helping opposite parties against the alliance.
“Shopian DDC election, even Srinagar for that matter, aren’t really a surprise. These people have been buying & selling elected representatives since 1984. Practice makes perfect!,” tweeted NC vice president Omar Abdullah soon after the results were declared for both districts earlier this week. Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti had also made similar allegations against the administration. Mehbooba Mufti even alleged that officers of police and administration are forcing DDC members of alliance to vote for other parties.
BJPs all six seats came from Jammu while one seat in Jammu was bagged by an independent candidate. On three seats of Jammu elections were deferred by the government due to lack of quorum. So far polls to elect the heads of council for three seats Rajouri, Ramban and Kishtwar has been deferred.
PAGD had emerged as the single largest party with 110 seats followed by BJP with 75 seats. From PAGD, NC emerged as the single largest party with 67 seats. However, first Sajjad Lone left the alliance after he blamed alliance for failing to take action against the candidates who contested against alliance candidates which reduced the alliance to 102 seats. At many places especially in Kupwara, Baramulla, Budgam and Shopian DDC members of the alliance partners voted for other candidates which left the chinks with the alliance wide open.
The leaders who were earlier promising to make the bond stronger got exposed during the first election only. Though the top leadership of the PAGD had been claiming that alliance had been formed for a greater cause like restoration of the special status of J&K, however, the elections have shown the leaders are not ready to sacrifice; instead they want power for their leaders. Political analysts feel that in the coming months or years when assembly elections would be declared the alliance couldn’t survive and all the parties will fight independently.
Even the J&K could see formation of new blocks as the foundation for which had already been laid. To help wife of former PDP patron despite bickering the Peoples Conference and Apni Party came together to elect Safeena Baig as chairperson from Baramulla District Development Council.
