GUPKAR ALLIANCE WINS DDC CHAIR IN ANANTNAG

SRINAGAR: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) won the election for the post of chairperson of the District Development Council (DDC) in Anantnag district held on Thursday, officials said.

PAGD is an amalgam of six parties seeking the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In the fourth phase of the polls on Thursday, the election was conducted in Anantnag district in south Kashmir and the PAGD, which also includes the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won both the posts of the chairperson as well as the vicechairperson, the officials said.

The PAGD had fielded an NC candidate for the post of the chairperson and a PDP candidate for the deputy. The NC’S Mohammad Yousuf Gorsi, who had won the DDC polls from Pahalgam seat, was elected as the chairman of the district council, whereas Javaid Ahmad of the PDP was elected as the vice-chairman, the officials said.

Gorsi polled 11 votes out of the total 14 members elected to the council in December last year, they added.

Among the 14 seats in Anantnag, six were won by NC, three each by Congress and PDP and two by independents. This is the fourth chairperson post win for the PAGD after the successes in Kulgam, Ganderbal and Pulwama. In the first phase of the polls to the posts of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons for three districts on Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party won two – Srinagar and Shopian, while CPI(M) – which is part of the PAGD – won from Kulgam.

In the second phase of the elections, the polls were held in Budgam and Kupwara, while the Baramulla polls were postponed.