Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that the trends that have emerged in the District Development Council (DDC) polls were very encouraging for the Gupkar alliance.
He said people from Jammu as well as Kashmir have extended complete support to the Gupkar alliance.
“The trends that have emerged in the DDC polls in J&K are very encouraging for the @JKPAGD. The BJP had made this election a prestige issue about Art 370 & J&K’s special status. The people have now spoken & it’s for those who believe in democracy to pay heed to these voices,” Abdullah tweeted.
He further said, “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.”
“The @JKPAGD is an alliance that emerged out of the betrayal of the people of J&K on 5th Aug 2019. We have faced every obstacle – illegal detentions, agency threats & pressures, our candidates were locked up to stop them campaigning & from all this we are emerging victorious,” he added.
These elections have been important since it was the first such exercise after the Centre scrapped Article 370 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories (UTs).
Polling was held over eight phases from November 28 to December 19.
As per Latest Trends:-
Gupkar-112
BJP-70
Congress-25
Apni Party-12
Others-56
The elections were seen as a triangular contest between the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) – an amalgam of several mainstream political parties, including the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status which was revoked by the Centre in August last year – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Apni Party floated by former finance minister Altaf Bukhari.
Peoples Democratic Party supremo and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti said, “Today’s DDC results have made it clear that people of J&K voted en masse for @JKPAGD thus rejecting the unconstitutional decision to abrogate Article 370. They have overwhelmingly supported @JKPAGD which stands for restoration of J&Ks special status.”
“Our win is dedicated to PAGD cadre who worked tirelessly to ensure our success. GOI left no stone unturned to create hurdles for us. Beginning with @parawahid’s arrest a day after he filed his DDC nominations, restricting our movement & not allowing us to campaign,” she said.
“I was illegally detained thrice over the course of a fortnight. PAGD candidates were locked up in a government building while others barred from canvassing. Despite all these obstacles PAGD emerged as winners. This has been a hard earned victory for all us,” Mehbooba added.
BJP’s Amit Malviya in a tweet said, “BJP’s emergence as the single largest party in the recently held District Development Council polls is a big endorsement for the abrogation of Art 370! Not a single party in the PAGD, a group of 7 parties, including the NC and PDP, even come close. Politics of development wins.”
