Befitting Reply To Mehbooba Mufti, Says Anurag Thakur on Jammu and Kashmir DDC Election Results

In Jammu division, the BJP has got the majority in Kathua and Samba (13 seats each), Jammu and Udhampur (11 each) and Doda (eight).

BJP’s DDC polls in-charge Anurag Thakur on Wednesday launched a scathing attack against the PDP chief and said that the election results are a befitting reply to Mehbooba Mufti who had refused to unfurl the Tricolour.

“It is important to know that independent candidates have polled more votes than the Congress and the PDP. The same Mehbooba Mufti who’d refused to unfurl the Tricolour has got a befitting reply today,” Anurag Thakur said.

“The trust which the J&K people have put in Modiji, the support which they’ve shown to his policies, & to his work to strengthen the democratic principles, are the reasons why BJP has got 3 seats in the Kashmir Valley,” he added.

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which among others includes regional heavyweights National Conference and PDP, swept the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls by winning 110 seats, while the BJP emerged as the single largest party by getting 74 seats and the maximum vote share in Jammu and Kashmir.

The results of four constituencies – one each in Bandipora and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir and Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu region – are still awaited.

The counting of votes for the 280 DDC constituencies — 14 each in 20 districts — started on Tuesday morning after the peaceful culmination of the eight-phase election from November 28 to December 19. This was the first democratic exercise in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories last year.

Out of the 276 seats for which results have been declared by the J&K Election Commission so far, besides PAGD and BJP, Independent candidates have won 49; Congress 26; Apni Party 12; PDF and National Panthers Party (NPP) two each; and BSP one.

In the Kashmir Valley, the PAGD got full majority in Kupwara (nine seats), Budgam (10), Pulwama (nine), Anantnag, Kulgam (12) and Ganderbal (11) and is just short of one seat from clear majority in Baramulla, Shopian and Bandipora districts, while Srinagar district is open as the PAGD and the Apni Party won three seats each and the BJP one besides seven bagged by the Independents.

In Jammu division, the BJP has got the majority in Kathua and Samba (13 seats each), Jammu and Udhampur (11 each) and Doda (eight), while it has an edge in Reasi district where it got seven seats against three by the PAGD, two Apni Party, one Congress and one Independent.