J&K DDC Elections: BJP emerges single largest party with 74 seats, NC second with 67 seats

Jammu: The latest trends in the counting of votes for the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir late on Tuesday night indicated BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 74 seats while the National Conference has won 67 seats.

The Farooq Abdullah-led People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) – including NC – has won 101 seats. The counting of votes is underway to determine the fate of 2,178 candidates. The overall voting percentage in all the eight phases across the Union Territory was 51.42 per cent.

The PAGD is an alliance of Kashmir’s mainstream parties which is fighting the elections jointly to prevent the BJP from making inroads in J&K. The PAGD was floated on October 7 for the reversal of constitutional changes made to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah was appointed the president of the alliance, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti its vice president and People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone as the spokesperson and CPI-M leader Yousuf Tarigami as its convenor.

The flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was adopted as the symbol of the alliance.