The District Development Council (DDC) polls, which were held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir across eight phases, with counting for the same continuing till the time of filing this report, saw an incredible performance being put up by the BJP.
Traditionally, the BJP has never won anything in Kashmir valley. This time, however, the saffron party was able to bag victories from Srinagar, Bandipora and Pulwama’s Kakpora. In Jammu, the BJP maintained its edge over the Gupkar Alliance, while the latter took the lead in terms of seats won in the valley.
The ‘Peoples Alliance’ as it is being touted, has failed to emerge as the single largest front in comparison to the BJP’s lone numbers in the aftermath of the DDC elections. In fact, to the sheer surprise of poll pundits, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party in the first-ever democratic and electoral exercise conducted in the UT after the abrogation of Article 370 and revocation of Kashmir’s special status.
With 74 seats in its kitty, the BJP has trumped all other political parties and alliances and emerged as a major player across the region. The Gupkar Alliance, meanwhile, won 101 seats out. 244 out of 280 results have been declared so far.
The Congress and PDP, meanwhile, saw their fortunes take a turn for the worse, as they won a meagre 26 and 27 seats respectively. The People’s Alliance was saved the embarrassment courtesy the National Conference of the Abdullahs alone, which bagged 67 seats on its own, mainly in Kashmir valley. A stunning performance was also put up by the Independents, signalling that there is a palpable want of fresh political forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
Read more: The Gupkar Alliance knows that it will lose badly, so it is already preparing for a moral victory
Mainly, six political parties – NC, PDP, People’s Conference, People’s Movement, CPI(M) and Awami National Conference (ANC) are a part of the People’s Alliance. The alliance seeks the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. While the People’s Alliance had earlier said in no uncertain terms that they would boycott all elections in the valley until Article 370 and Kashmir’s special status was restored, the closet separatists made a U-turn last month, subsequently resulting in them contesting the first-ever electoral exercise held after the revocation of Kashmir’s special status.
Meanwhile, it is perhaps for the very first time that an election has been held in Jammu and Kashmir without allegations of rigging being levelled by the stakeholders, or the public at large. Also, the results of the electoral exercise are largely being hailed across BJP’s lines, with the Centre too enthusiastic about the outcome of the polls, as it reaffirms the Modi government’s move to abrogate Article 370 to install grassroots democracy in the erstwhile state.
BJP's emergence as the single largest party in the recently held District Development Council polls is a big endorsement for the abrogation of Art 370! Not a single party in the PAGD, a group of 7 parties, including the NC and PDP, even come close.
Politics of development wins. pic.twitter.com/9vdLGMflt0
— BJP Jammu & Kashmir (@BJP4JnK) December 22, 2020
The DDC polls also witnessed retrospectively higher voter turnout, as compared to previous elections. Polling was held over eight phases from November 28 to December 19, and 51.42 per cent of the 57 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise in the DDC elections, which was conducted quite peacefully. The Modi government is now convinced that Jammu and Kashmir has a democratically bright future. The numbers of the BJP and Independents when stacked together, prove that the public of the UT longs for political change.