SRINAGAR: Tuesday will provide the first public opinion on the Centre’s abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir as the results of the District Development Council (DDC) polls will be out. The eight-phase polls for 280 DDC seats, which began on November 28 and ended on December 19, was held for the first time in J&K.
About 51 per cent of the total 57 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise in the elections.
The DDC polls was also the first major electoral exercise in J&K after scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcation of J&K state into two UTs on August 5 last year.
All the top mainstream leaders, including three former CMs Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, were detained after Article 370 revocation and about a dozen, including three ex-CMs, booked under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).
The main contest is between seven-party Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Article 370 restoration and BJP.
The PAGD, which was formed in October this year by NC, PDP, JKPM, Peoples Conference ANC, CPI and CPM to fight for restoration of J&K’s special status, had initially decided to stay away from the polls but later contested to prevent a one-sided affair for BJP.
If the PAGD, which has got stronghold in Valley, wins big and manages to emerge as single large group in J&K, then the alliance, which has been named as Gupkar Gang by BJP may increase its political activities with higher pitch for restoration of Article 370.
Twenty leaders put under detention
Authorities on Monday took into preventive custody at least 20 political leaders, including three senior PDP functionaries.
PDP chief minister Mehbooba Mufti described the detention as “out and out Gunda Raj”.