J&K Polls: Big lead for Farooq Abdullah-Led Gupkar Alliance

The Farooq Abdullah-led People`s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration took a big lead over the BJP on Tuesday as votes were counted in the first District Development Council (DDC) election in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is the first election in Jammu and Kashmir since its special status was scrapped last year and it was downgraded to a Union Territory.

In the latest leads, the Gupkar alliance -- a grouping of regional parties including the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti`s People`s Democratic Party (PDP) - is ahead in 81 seats; the BJP is leading in 47 seats.

The Congress is ahead in 21.

In Jammu Province, the BJP is ahead in 44 seats while the Gupkar alliance in 20. In Kashmir, the regional grouping is leading in 61 seats with the BJP far behind at three.

Votes are being counted for 280 seats - 14 in each of the 20 districts of the union territory - and the process may take longer than usual because ballot papers were used instead of electronic voting machines or EVMs. Polling was held in eight phases over a period of 25 days.

The Gupkar Alliance, which was formed in protest against the massive constitutional changes -- in which Article 370 on special status to Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated and the state was turned into two union territories -- was largely missing during the campaign. Many of its leaders, like former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and others were detained in August last year, soon after the changes, as the centre imposed security restrictions to prevent protests. The Abdullahs were released in March while Mehbooba Mufti was freed after over a year in October.

The results of the election may be used as a sort of referendum by both political ideologies -- for and against the changes in Jammu and Kashmir.

Anurag Thakur, the BJP`s in-charge for these polls, earlier said he was confident of his party`s win. 

"Even though people were threatened, they came out in huge numbers to cast their vote. This is the victory of democracy. PM Modi`s dream that at the grassroots level- panchayat, BDC & DDC elections should be held in J&K - has been fulfilled," Thakur added.

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