SRINAGAR: Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party is most likely to dominate majority of ten district development councils in kashmir valley shrinking political space of the Gupkar Alliance constituents of major mainstream regional parties like National conference and PDP with having already headed Srinagar and shopian DDCs .
While CPI(M) interestingly, headed by the highly terrorist infested Kulgam courtesy Gupkar Alliance. However, majority of DDCs in jammu division of union territory on expected lines is likely to head by BJP members.
AP Chairman Altaf Bukhari, who is looked as centre’s man in kashmir valley told TOI that the new set of political beings heading Srinagar and shopian DDCs do not have any association with the traditional politics, they are all young.
“This is the start of real democracy and the politics of truth in the UT . We will pursue the issues of people till the end come what may”, he said.
The Apni Party candidate Aftab Malik became first chairman of DDC Srinagar as he bagged 10 votes while Malik’s rival bagged only three votes. While Bilal Ahmad of the AP was elected vice-chairperson as he secured nine votes while his rival from People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Manzoor Ahmad Bhat bagged only four votes. Interestingly, the lone BJP Srinagar DDC member Ajaz Hussian supported AP candidate for chairmanship.
Srinagar DDC had seven Independents , NC has one member while JKAP had three members , BJP one , PDP one and JKPM one each .however, the independents merged in to Altaf’s JKAP party and choice head of the Srinagar DDC on Saturday with the support of and BJP one councilor.
The AP also won the posts of chairman and vice-chairman in the shopian DDC . AP’s Bilqees Akhtar polled eight votes while her rival candidate from Gupkar Alliance member secured six votes. The vice-chairman post was decided through a draw of lots as there was a tie. The vice-chairman post was also won by JKAP. Bilqees Akhter of Watch who had won DDC elections from Zainapora-1 block will be the first chairperson of Shopian while as Irfan Manhas will be the vice-chairperson. Both PAGD and AP had support of seven DDC members each, however, one among PAGD members voted in favour of Apni Party. In Shopian out of the 14 seats, four seats each were bagged by National Conference (NC) and Independent candidates while PDP, JKAP and Congress secured three, two and one seat respectively.
However, later, three out of four Independent candidates and one each from NC and Congress joined the Apni Party while one Independent candidate joined NC.
The elections of chairman and vice chairman in shopian district of south kashmir has caused further dent to Gupkar alliance , an amalgam of six parties after the exit of Sajad Lone’s peoples’ conference from the amalgam few weeks ago .
CPI (M) candidate in kulgam DDC was unanimously elected as the first District Development Council (DDC) chairman of Kulgam district while National Conference (NC) bagged seats of DDC vice-chairman and chairman of the Municipal Council as was expected . The CPI (M) candidate Mohammad Afzal, who is also district secretary CPI (M) and had won DDC elections on Pombai seat, was unanimously elected as the first DDC chairman of Kulgam. He was supported by all the 13 candidates. NC candidate Shazia Poswal, who won DDC elections from Manzgam seat, was also elected unanimously as vice-chairperson.. In Kulgam, five seats were won by NC and CPI (M) and two each by the Congress and PDP.
As expected, the BJP took chairmanship of the two District Development Councils (DDCs) of Jammu and Kathua, the elections for which were held in first out of four phases. BJP DDC member from Bhalwal and former MLA from Raipur Domana Bharat Bushan was elected unopposed as chairman of the first DDC of Jammu district, which has been reserved for Scheduled Castes by the State Election Commission. Suraj Singh, DDC member from Khour, was elected unopposed as vice chairman of Jammu DDC. interestingly Independent DDC member from Suchetgarh Taranjit Singh Tony, known critic of BJP proposed the names of Bharat Bushan and Suraj Singh for the post of chairperson and vice chairperson.
BJP with majority of 11 members out of 14 in Jammu DDC with two Independents including Tony and a BJP rebel from Marh and one woman member of National Conference, who had won from Dansal ST woman reserved seat, was sure to head the council .
In Kathua, Col (Retired) Maan Singh and Raghunandan Singh Babloo were elected unopposed as chairman and vice chairman of the District Development Council.
The BJP has 13 out of 14 seats in Kathua DDC. Lone Opposition member is from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).