Big jolts to Gupkar alliance as NC loses Budgam, Kupwara
SRI NAGAR: The faultlines in the six-party Gupkar alliance came to the fore once again during the election of chairpersons for the District Development Councils (DDCs) in Budgam and Kupwara districts on Monday. The National Conference (NC) received a big jolt in Budgam where the party had won eight out of 14 seats and yet failed to get hold of the chairman’s post as it did not receive support even from the Gupkar parties.
In Budgam DDC, the NC had won absolute majority by winning 8 out of 14 seats. Independents and PDF won two seats each while the PDP and JKPM (both Gupkar alliance constituents) won one seat each. Since the NC, PDP and JKPM are part of the Gupkar alliance, it could have easily garnered 10 votes for the chairman’s post. However, during the election, PDP district president Nazir Ahmad Khan, who had won as an independent candidate, got elected. Nazir and NC’s Abdul Ahad Dar secured 7 votes each for the chairman’s post. Later, a draw of lots was held in which Nazir was declared successful.
The NC also lost control of Kupwara DDC, where Peoples Conference’s Irfan Sultan Panditpori and Haji Farooq Mir were elected as chairman and vice-chairman respectively. An official said out of 13 DDC members, 9 members were present during the election, which satisfied the quorum limit.
The four members who were absent belonged to the NC. In Kupwara, the PC had won 5 seats, NC 4, independents 3 and Apni Party 1 while the result of one seat is still awaited.The NC alleged that administration in Kupwara flawed all the norms by “playing a partisan role to engineer a particular outcome”. “The election proceedings were held behind a veil of secrecy at around 2 pm, much later than the predetermined time slot of 11 am to 1 pm. The administration held the election after our members left the venue around 1 pm,” an NC spokesman said.
Chairman elected
PDP district president Nazir Ahmad Khan, who had won as an independent candidate, got elected. Later, a draw of lots was held in which he was declared successful