J&K DDC Elections: PAGD bags 110 seats, BJP emerges as single largest party by winning 74 seats

Srinagar: The seven-party Gupkar alliance, or People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), led by Farooq Abdullah is ahead in the seat tally in the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir by winning or leading in at least 112 seats out of 280, followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which emerged as the single largest party as it won 74 seats including three in the Kashmir valley for the first time.

The eight-phase DDC polls, which began on November 28, are the first election after Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 was revoked in 2019 and it was reorganised into a Union Territory.

In the election, 140 seats each in the Jammu and Kashmir regions went to polls.

The trends in most seats in the DDC elections were in accordance with expectations — the BJP maintained its strength in the Jammu division while the PAGD, which includes regional heavyweights the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was ahead in Kashmir, besides Pir Panchal and the Chenab Valley regions of Jammu.