Independents win DDC bypoll in J&K

Srinagar, December 8

Independent candidates on Thursday won both Hajin and Drugmulla seats in the District Development Council (DDC) bypolls held in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. While National Conference-backed Amina Majeed won Drugmulla in Kupwara district by a slender margin of 39 votes, Nazah Bano won the Hajin seat in Bandipora district by 423 votes.

Majeed got 3,259 votes while her nearest rival Shabnam Rehman got 3,220 votes. Nazah Bano got 2,706 votes against Peoples Conference candidate Ateeqa Begum’s 2,283 votes. The candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the two seats fared poorly, managing less than 1,000 votes each.

The bypolls for these seats were necessitated after objections were raised against two women candidates who hail from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir but are married to local men, leading to a legal battle. Not only were the two women barred from contesting the elections, their names were also struck off from the electoral rolls. — PTI

BJP’s poor show

• BJP candidates got less than 1,000 votes each in both Hajin and Drugmulla seats.
• Amina Majeed (Drugmulla) won by 39 votes, Nazah Bano won by 423 votes.

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