Jammu And Kashmir DDC Elections: First Election Post Article 370 Abrogation Begins, Security Tightened Amid Polling

There are 280 DDC seats in the union territory - 140 each in Jammu and Kashmir regions. Out of 1,475 candidates, 296 are contesting the first phase of the DDC polls

Representative Image

Jammu-Kashmir: J&K witnesses its first elections since being reorganized as a union territory last year with the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls that began on Saturday morning. Voting for the first phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir has begun amid tight security on Saturday. In the first phase of the DDC elections, 43 constituencies will go to polls — 25 in Kashmir and 18 in Jammu. Notably, the Valley is witnessing its first elections since the Centre scrapped Article 370 and bifurcated it into two UTs.

Jammu and Kashmir: Voting underway for the first phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections in the Union Territory Visuals from Shamasabad in Khansahib Tehsil of Budgam district pic.twitter.com/sh8MfYTzBK

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020

As many as 1,475 candidates are in the fray for the first phase of these polls. The eight-phase elections are seen as a triangular contest among the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the BJP and the Apni Party floated by former finance minister Altaf Bukhari. The PAGD -- an amalgam of several mainstream political parties, including NC and PDP, seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status which was revoked by the Centre last year -- has been accusing the Bukhari-led party of being a B-Team of the BJP. There are 280 DDC seats in the union territory - 140 each in Jammu and Kashmir regions, the officials said, adding 14 constituencies have been earmarked in each of the 20 districts of the union territory. Out of 1,475 candidates, 296 are contesting the first phase of the DDC polls, they said, adding 172 of them are from the Kashmir valley and 124 from the Jammu region. By-elections to 12,153 panchayat constituencies are also taking place along with the DDC polls. Out of these, 11,814 are in the Kashmir valley, and the rest 339 in Jammu. (With PTI inputs)