Kupwara, Dec 04 : The election in the Drugmulla district
development council (DDC) seat, which will witness
polling on Monday, is being dubbed as a semi-final
between National Conference and Peoples' Conference
in the Kupwara district before the first assembly election
of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory, which could be
held in 2023 or after.
Considered arch-rivals, National Conference and
Peoples Conference had allied together in the District
Development Council (DDC) polls in 2020, but the latter
had parted ways with the amalgam, accusing the former
of fielding proxy candidates on the seats allotted to it as
part of the pre-poll pact.
In this election, PC is supporting Shabnam Lone, who
had filed nomination papers as PDP candidate in 2020.
After the State Election commissioner announced the
schedule for re-poll on November 16, 2022, PDP
distanced itself from Shabnam and wrote to the J&K
election commissioner to withdraw the “inkpot and pen”
symbol allotted to her.
PC also approached the authorities to change her
symbol, but the authorities conveyed to them that it
cannot be done, as the date for withdrawal of
nominations had closed nearly two years ago.
November 23, 2020 was the last date for withdrawal of
candidature for the seat.
In the past two weeks, senior PC leaders Mir
Muhammad Fayaz and Bashir Ahmad Dar were seeking
votes for “inkpot and pen” which is the official symbol of
PDP.
Both NC and PDP are supporting separate candidates in
the election despite being constituents of the Peoples'
Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).
In the polls, National Conference leaders Choudhary
Muhammad Ramzan and Mir Saifullah campaigned for
advocate Aminah, who had filed nomination papers as
an independent candidate in 2020.
Interestingly, Peoples Democratic Party is backing Rifat
Wani, who is also contesting as an independent
candidate.
Apni Party, Congress BJP candidates are also
contesting polls in the seat.
An official told that ten candidates are in the fray.
“We have set up 42 polling stations in the seat, “he said.
