The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of seven political parties, won 96 seats while the BJP emerged as the single largest party after winning 70 seats in the district development council (DDC) polls, as results for 244 of the 280 seats had been announced by late Tuesday night.
As many as 43 seats were bagged by Independent candidates, while the Congress party won 21 seats.
By winning three seats in Kashmir, the BJP on Tuesday won an election for the first time from any seat in the Valley while facing regional heavyweights like the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party. The NC and the PDP are part of the Gupkar Alliance.
As per the latest information from the state election authority (SEA), the BJP has bagged the highest number of 70 seats with a record share of 4,42,994 votes, followed by 56 seats by the NC with 21,151 votes, 26 seats by the PDP and 21 by the Congress.
As per the data, the newly setup Apni Party bagged 10 seats followed by six seats by J&K Peoples Conference, five seats by CPIM, three seats by J&K People’s movement, two by Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers’ Party (JKNPP), one seat each by the BSP and the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF).
BJP won 13 of the 14 constituencies in Kathua district.
Several former ministers and legislators – Taj Mohideen, Aijaz Khan, Gharu Ram, Abdul Gani, Jagjeevan Lal won the DCC elections while former BJP minister Shakti Raj Parihar and former legislators – Kanta Andhotra, Shah Mohmmad and Shahnaz Ganai lost.
Aijaz Hussain won the Khonmoh-II District Development Council seat in Srinagar, while Aijaz Ahmad Khan gave the party more reason to cheer by winning the Tulail seat in Bandipora district.
PDP leader Waheed Para, under arrest for his alleged links with militants, was leading in his Pulwama constituency by a huge margin late on Tuesday night.
This is the first election after Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked last year and it was reorganised into a union territory.
A day ahead of the counting, authorities detained several PDP and second rung NC leaders, including Naeem Akhtar, Sartaj Madni, Peer Mansoor and Hilal Ahmad Lone. No reason was given for the detentions.
The votes were being counted in Jammu and Kashmir regions amid tight security arrangements. There are 140 DDC seats each in Jammu and Kashmir regions. Both regions have 10 districts each, constituting total 20 districts in the UT. Each district comprises 14 seats, resulting in a total of 280 seats.