SRI NAGAR: The nine-month-old J&K Apni Party is making a concerted effort to wrest control of the prestigious Srinagar District Development Council (DDC) with the support of independent candidates.
If its efforts bear fruits, it will to add to the misery of the seven-party Gupkar Alliance, which suffered setback in Srinagar district. The party is also aiming to snatch the control of Shopian DDC in south Kashmir from the Gupkar Alliance.
Talking to this newspaper, Apni Party senior vice president Ghulam Hassan Mir said the party is hopeful of wresting control of Srinagar DDC, where it won three.
Mir said the party had supported four independent candidates, who emerged victorious in Srinagar. One of the independent victors from Srinagar, Mohammad Shaban Chopian, has joined the party, taking its tally to four.
“We have emerged as the single largest party in Srinagar DDC and have the support of independent candidates. We will form the DDC in Srinagar,” asserted Mir.
Wresting control of Srinagar DDC will be a shot in the arm for the Apni Party, which was formed in March this year with an agenda to ‘move beyond Article 370’ and focus on restoration of statehood.
The Gupkar Alliance has accused the Apni Party, led by influential businessman Altaf, Bukhari of being ‘BJP’s B team’.
Apni Party is also attempting to stake claim on Shopian district, where it has won two seats. Independent candidates have secured four, Congress one, and Gupkar Alliance seven seats in Shopian.
While the Gupkar Alliance, with Congress’ support, could have easily formed the DDC, four candidates – one each from NC, PDP, Congress and an independent – joining the Apni Party dampened the prospects of the alliance.
The Apni Party now needs only two seats to control the Shopian DDC.
Party’s rank swelling
Insiders in the Apni Party said the party leaders were in touch with independent candidates in Shopian. The party won 12 seats in J&K, but after a series of defections, their tally is now 20.