Srinagar: Out of the 20 DDCs in Jammu and Kashmir, five District Development Councils (DDCs) elected their first-ever chairpersons and vice-chairpersons on Saturday. They include Jammu and Kathua in the Jammu division and Srinagar, Shopian and Kulgam in the Kashmir division.
Candidates of Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party won the in the first-ever elections of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons in DDCs of Srinagar and Shopian while PAGD candidates were elected to the posts in Kulgam. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the first-ever elections for chairperson and vice-chairperson in the DDCs of Jammu and Kathua.
The Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson of the DDC Srinagar were elected Saturday in a meeting of the elected DDC members convened here under the chairmanship of the District Election Officer (District Development Commissioner) Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.
Malik Aftab with 10 votes was elected as the chairperson whereas Bilal Ahmad Bhat with 9 votes was elected as the vice chairperson of the DDC Srinagar.
DEO Srinagar said that thirteen (13) out of the total fourteen (14) elected DDC members participated in the meeting. He said the elected member from Harwan-IV constituency could not take part in the meeting due to a health condition.
Kaiser Ahmad Ganai with 3 votes and Manzoor Ahmad Bhat with 4 votes were the runners-up in the chairperson and vice chairperson elections respectively.
Apni Party candidates Bilqeesa and Irfan Manhas have been elected as chairman and vice chairman of Shopian, respectively.
DDC polls held in December 2020, were the first major elections held in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019.
As per election officials, BJP candidates Bharat Bhushan and Suraj Singh were elected as chairman and vice-chairman of DDC of Jammu respectively.
Saffron party leaders Col Mann Singh was elected as chairman of DDC of Kathua while Raghunandan Singh is vice-chairman.
Later, Deputy Commissioner Kathua also administered oath of office to the newly elected Chairperson and Vice Chairperson in a brief ceremony.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate M Afzal Parrey has won the post of chairperson of Kulgam and National Conference (NC) Shazia Jan has been elected as vice-chairman of the district. CPI (M) and NC part part of PAGD. (GNS)
