DDC chairperson elections: PAGD likely to face defeat in Sgr

Apni Party has support of over nine members, BJP’s lone member to support Bukhari’s candidate

The Srinagar District Development Council (DDC) would likely have its first Chairperson from Apni Party led by former minister Altaf Bukhari as the party is enjoying the support of over nine DDC members.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) having less support would likely face defeat.

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National Conference (NC) leader informed KNO that party's DDC member Kaiser Ahmad Ganaie will be contesting as Chairperson on PAGD ticket while Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) Manzoor Ahmad Bhat will be contesting for Vice Chairperson Post.

Wishing anonymity, the leader admitted that the party is short of supporters, adding that the PAGD candidates don't have a majority and would unlikely be elected as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.

Apni Party leader, Muhammad Ashraf Mir while talking to KNO said that the party has the support of over nine DDC members as many of the independent members have also joined the party following the results of maiden polls were declared.

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“We have nine DDC members and would likely get two more votes from other Srinagar DDC members, thus would go up to 11,” he said.

Mir said that the meeting to finalize the candidates for the post of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson has been called in this evening. “We have not finalized the candidates yet, but will be decided later in the evening,” he said.

Reliable sources said that as the party has not finalized the candidates yet, but Aftab Malik, who emerged victorious from Soiteng constituency, would likely be the party’s candidate for the post of Chairperson while for the post of Vice Chairperson, many candidates are in the fray.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) lone candidate, Ajaz Hussain, who emerged victorious from Balahama area in Srinagar from Khonmoh-II constituency, said that he will support Apni Party candidate tomorrow.

Notably, the maiden DDC polls culminated on December 19, 2020 while the counting of votes was conducted on December 22.

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Pertinently, Deputy commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who is also the District Election Officer (DEO) of the summer capital had on Monday issued a notification for a meeting of members elected to the District Development Council (DDC) Srinagar to elect the chairperson and the vice chairperson of the council as mandated under section 45-B of the Jammu & Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989.

The notification issued in pursuance of sub–rule (4) of rule 108-ZN of the Jammu & Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules 1996 stated that the meeting will be held at 11 am on 6 February 2021 in the Meeting Hall of DC Office Srinagar.

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