The BJP has released the first list of candidates for the upcoming District Development Council polls to be conducted on party basis in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the parties of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), that is jointly contesting the polls, have decided that the alliance candidates will contest the upcoming polls on their respective party symbols.
BJP state spokesman Altaf Thakur said that the first list of the candidates for the DDC and panchayat polls has been released by the party high command.
“In the first list, total 72 names were announced; 35 candidates from Jammu and 37 candidates from Kashmir, who will be the party candidates for the DDC polls,” Thakur said.
Earlier, chairman PAGD, Farooq Abdullah said that the parties of the alliance will put up candidates on all the seats. “PAGD candidates will be contesting polls on the ticket of the parties in the alliance they belong to,” he said.
Abdullah had also said that Congress will also be part of the PAGD alliance after his meeting with J&K Congress president on Sunday.
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On November 7, PAGD leadership held a meeting in winter capital Jammu where it was decided that the alliance parties will jointly contest these polls.
“Despite the abruptness of the DDC elections in terms of timing, it is important that this sacred space in democracy is not allowed to be invaded and plundered by divisive forces,” the PAGD spokesman Sajjad Lone had said, while announcing that the Gupkar alliance had unanimously decided to fight the DDC elections.
Besides National Conference and the PDP, the Peoples Conference, the CPI (M), and the Awami National Conference are part of the PAGD. The National Conference and the PDP had stayed away from the panchayat polls in 2018.
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Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor, Manoj Sinha, reviewed the security arrangements for the DDC election and by-elections for Panchayats and urban local bodies (ULB) on Tuesday.
Advisor to L-G, RR Bhatnagar; chief secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam, secretary, home, Shaleen Kabra, director general of police, Dilbag Singh, ADGPs and IG Jammu were present in the meeting. IG Kashmir, DIGs, SSPs and other senior police officers from Kashmir division attended the meeting via video conferencing.
Sinha stressed upon the officers to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections. He emphasized on providing sufficient security to the participating candidates besides ensuring maximum participation of the people.
“People must be facilitated during these elections so that they feel secure to cast their ballot on the particular election day,” the L-G said.