National Conference and Congress alliance candidates today won the BDC chairperson and vice-chairperson posts in Ramban and Kishtwar districts.
Earlier, the elections in both the districts were postponed following lack of quorum on February 13 and it was rescheduled for today, whereas Rajouri district will hold elections for DDC chairperson and vice-chairperson on February 19.
Senior leader of Congress in Ramban District, Vakar Rasool said that Dr Shamshada Bano – National Conference candidate – contested for the post of chairperson with the support of Congress and won with 11 votes.
He said that another candidate of the National Conference Rabia Hamid got elected as vice-chairperson. Hamid had recently joined the National Conference along with Bashir Ahmed Runyal (retired IAS), and Fayaz Ahmed. She won with 9 votes. She had won DDC elections as an Independent candidate before joining the National Conference.
Imtiyaz Ahmed Khandey was the Congress candidate for the vice-chairperson seat and he was defeated by the National Conference candidate Rabia Hamid.
BJP had also fielded its candidate namely Renuka Katoch for chairperson and Balbir Singh for vice-chairperson seat. In Ramban district, BJP has only 3 DDC members.
Even as the Congress and National Conference had reached consensus that Congress will contest for vice-chairperson, the leaders say their alliance partner fielded their candidate who won defeating Congress candidate.
“However, we (Congress), voted for their candidate for chairperson,” the leader added.
Meanwhile, the elections for DDC chairperson and vice-chairperson were more interesting in Kishtwar District where the National Conference and Congress had kept their DDC members under strict surveillance.
According to Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Ashok Kumar Sharma: “DDC member Pooja Thakur, candidate of National Conference, won as chairperson with 8 votes, and Saima Parveen Lone, candidate of Congress, won as vice-chairperson with 7 votes in triangular contest.”
He said that Sharifa Begam who recently joined the Apni Party, contested for chairperson, and she got 6 votes.
For vice-chairperson, he said, there were three candidates including Congress’ Hans Raj (rebel) and Independent candidate from Marwah, Zafarullah. However, Congress candidate Saima Parveen Lone won as vice-chairperson.
“BJP did not field their candidates,” added the DC Kishtwar.
Excluding Rajouri district where DDC council elections would be held on Friday, the BJP so far has won in Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, Samba, and Doda districts.
In Reasi district, the BJP has won the chairperson seat and vice-chairperson seat went to an independent candidate. In Poonch district, chairperson and vice-chairperson seats were won by the independent candidates.