The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Saturday unanimously decided to contest the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) polls in a united manner in Jammu and Kashmir. Many here were presuming that the Alliance would tread the path of the separatists and not contest the polls till Article 370 was restored.
The state election commission has announced dates for the conduct of elections to the district development councils in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the notification issued here, November 16 is the last date for filling of nominations and November 17 for scrutiny of nominations and November 19 for withdrawal of candidature. Elections will be held on December 1 from 7am to 2pm and will also be the date of counting after the conclusion of the poll in respect of vacant sarpanch and panch constituencies, unless notified otherwise.
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Counting for the rest will be done on December 22 unless notified. Otherwise, elections would be completed on December 24.
However, People's Alliance spokesman Sajjad Lone said it is important that this sacred space in democracy will not be allowed to be invaded and marauded by divisive forces.
“The Alliance has unanimously decided to fight the DDC elections unitedly. Despite the abruptness of the DDC elections in terms of timing, it is important that this sacred space in a democracy is not allowed to be invaded and marauded by divisive forces,” Lone said.
“It is a very good decision. A landslide win for the combination will be an appropriate response to @BJP4India about the disapproval of its August 5 robbery by the only stakeholders, the people of J&K. We have to rise above partisan feelings unlike the BJP,” senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said.
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Soon after holding a meeting in Jammu, the People’s Alliance held a news conference wherein the Alliance spokesperson Lone announced that the leadership has decided to contest the upcoming polls in J&K unitedly.
Lone, who was accompanied by other PAGD leaders, said that all the modalities and new administrative rules will be looked into and the Alliance president Dr Farooq Abdullah will himself declare the names of contestants.
