PAGD wins top posts in Rajouri

JAMMU : The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of mainstream parties, on Friday won the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson in the Rajouri district development council (DDC), which was reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

NC’s Naseem Liaqat, an advocate, won the post of DDC chairperson in Rajouri by eight votes against six by his rival Shazia Choudhary (independent), while senior Congress leader and former minister Shabir Khan was elected to the post of vice-chairperson after PAGD and Congress joined hands.

“The party high command directed me to contest the DDC elections. My objective is to serve the people whether as a vice-chairperson or minister,” Khan said.

“Since we do not have a politically elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, it was imperative for us to contest DDC polls so as to keep our flock together and at the same time work for the people of Rajouri,” said Khan.

Rajouri was a reserved for a ST category. Earlier, a meeting to elect chairperson and vicechairman was held on February 13 but was later adjourned due to lack of quorum. All 14 members were present and the election concluded in a conducive atmosphere, the officials said.

Rajouri has become the third district with PAGD members at the top posts in Jammu region.

The PAGD had won the posts of DDC chairpersons in Ramban and Kishtwar districts with the support of the Congress.

Of the 14 DDC seats, PAGD had won six (NC five and PDP one) followed by Congress and BJP (three each) and Apni Party and an independent (one each) in the elections held in November-December last year.

In the earlier four phases in Jammu division, BJP had won the posts of DDC chairpersons in the six districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Doda and Reasi while an independent was elected to the post in Poonch district.

Five vice-chairperson posts also went to BJP, while independents emerged victorious by winning the posts of vice-chairpersons in Reasi and Poonch districts.In Kashmir valley, PAGD had won five districts of Bandipora, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag, while J&K Apni party had got two districts of Srinagar and Shopian and Peoples Conference, which exited from the PAGD recently, got the DDC chairperson post in Kupwara.

Budgam and Baramulla districts went to independent candidates despite PAGD emerging as the single largest party at both the places due to cross-voting.

The party high command directed me to contest the DDC elections. My objective is to serve the people whether as a vicechairperson or minister. SHABIR KHAN, former Congress minister and new Rajouri deputy chairperson