DDC Verdict 2020
News Kashmir Analysis
DDC (District Development Council) Results have come in Jammu and Kashmir as a big surprise to one and all.The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), led by Farooq Abdullah, won 110 seats of the total 280 constituencies in the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 75 DDC constituencies followed by J&K National Conference with 67 seats. The PDP bagged 27 while the Congress won 26 seats.
The newly formed J&K Apni Party (JKAP) won 12 while JKPC and CPI-M bagged eight and five seats.278 results were declared out of 280 .While as top leader of PAGD and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted to say that the BJP “had made this election a prestige issue about Art 370 & J&K’s special status. The people have now spoke hin & it’s for those who believe in democracy to pay heed to these voices”.He added that All of us in the @JKPAGD are deeply indebted & grateful to the people of J&K for your support at this critical juncture. We reaffirm our commitment to use all democratic & legal weapons at our disposal to continue to fight for our rights.On the other hand , Union Minister for Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi said that several candidates among independents who won 39 seats in DDC elections are BJP supporters.
He further said that the BJP has emerged as the single largest party in DDC election in Jammu and Kashmir with the 74 seats and highest number of votes, i.e. 4.87 lakhs.
“The People Alliance for Gupkar Declaration was formed because the component of that alliance knew they could not fight BJP single-handedly,” said Prasad during the press conference.BJP is rejoicing over the fact that it first time ever won three Seats from the Kashmir valley while as PAGD is countering it by saying that they won 35 seats from Jammu region .
Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad Sikander , eminent political analyst stated : “DDC elections have depicted that citizens of J&K still have not accepted BJP. Although the election boycott trend is still vibrant but people have supported PAGD candidates. The newly launched JK Apni party did not fare well in these elections despite the aura created around it. Apni party is home to more than half of the renegade PDP candidates and congress dissidents, but it’s performance was quite poor, making one surmise that it cannot prove to be alternative to NC, PDP and other such parties. BJP lost many seats in Jammu region too, pointing out the fact that assembly elections whenever they will be held will not prove to be a cakewalk for it. The three seats that BJP won in Kashmir, make it clear that election boycott plus Pandit vote can prove decisive for BJP in Kashmir valley.”The next big curoisty would be how many DDC chairman’s and Vice Chairman each alliance bags out of 20 Districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
