DDC polls: Gupkar alliance claims people's support; BJP celebrates Kashmir win

NEW DELHI: The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of seven political parties which has taken a big lead in the District Development Council (

DDC

) elections, claims that they had the support of people of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP which had campaigned aggressively for the local elections has been a distant second. However, the party is

jubilant

about opening its account in Kashmir valley where it has won 2 seats.


DDC poll trends, results eye-opener for BJP: Omar Abdullah
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah termed the results and emerging trends of

DDC polls

as an eye-opener for the BJP and its "proxy political party", and said people have rejected the decision of revoking the erstwhile state's special status.

Abdullah, who is the vice president of the National Conference (NC), told PTI that the results and trends are an "important milestone" for the People's Alliance on Gupkar Declaration as they endorse the "out view" that revoking the special status of the erstwhile state of J&K and downgrading it into a Union Territory was not accepted by the people.

The trends show that the people have not accepted the government's “unilateral decision” of revoking the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, and downgrading it to a Union Territory, the NC leader said.

"Now if the BJP and its proxy political party believe in democracy, as they have stated, they should immediately reverse their decision and respect the verdict of the people of this region," he said.

The NC leader said that the BJP had flown in a number of Union ministers and central leaders to campaign for the DDC elections.

"The BJP is the one which turned these elections as a referendum of its policy of 2019. I hope they have understood the desire of the people," he said.

People of Kashmir have exhibited faith in PM Modi: J&K BJP
Congratulating party candidates who registered victories in the District Development Council (DDC) elections, Jammu and Kashmir BJP general secretary

Vibodh Gupta

said the people of the Valley have exhibited their faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP on Tuesday won an election for the first time from any seat in Kashmir while facing regional heavyweights like the National Conference and the PDP.

Aijaz Hussain won the Khonmoh-II District Development Council seat in Srinagar, while Aijaz Ahmad Khan gave the party more reason to cheer by winning the Tulail seat in Bandipora district.

"The people of Kashmir exhibited their faith in Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi's vision of naya Kashmir, and sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas," Gupta, who is also party's in-charge for Kashmir, said.

He said the victories mark a "change of wave" in the Valley.

"This victory belongs to the party workers of Kashmir who have shed their blood fighting a tough battle against terrorism," the BJP leader said

"BJP's maiden victories in DDC elections in Kashmir speak of two stories -- one of a tough fight by

the Bharatiya Janata Party

, marking the beginning of a new era in the valley, and the other of conveying a strong message to Gupkar Gang that the end of their communal and divisive politics is near," he claimed.

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