BJP announces list of star campaigners for maiden DDC elections in Jammu & Kashmir

The BJP on Saturday announced the list of star campaigners for Jammu and Kashmir District Development Council (DDC) elections. The list includes Union Ministers Jitendra Singh, Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur, Partap Sarangi, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur, and other leaders namely, General VK Singh, Tarun Chug, Shahnawaz Hussain, Zaffar-ul-Islam and Dushyant Gautam. Earlier, the saffron party had released its first list of 72 candidates for the first phase of upcoming elections in J&K. The BJP announced 35 candidates for the Jammu region and 37 for the Kashmir valley. J&K District Development Council(DDC) elections will be held in 8 phases from November 28 to December 22.

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DDC Elections in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir State Election Commissioner KK Sharma had issued the first notification for conducting the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections in 20 districts of the union territory. The elections are significant as it is the first electoral move from New Delhi after the abrogation of Article 370. Delimitation had been done for the constituencies and 280 DDCs have been identified across the union territory for undertaking the elections, with 14 DDC constituencies in each district. Voting in the first phase of polls will take place on November 28. In the first phase, by-elections will also be held for three urban local bodies – Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Pahalgam Municipal Council and Ashmuqam Municipal Council.

READ | People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration to participate in upcoming J&K's DDC elections

Gupkar alliance to contest polls 

In a massive development, the newly formed People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) announced that they would be participating in the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections. As per an official statement of the PAGD, the delegation comprising of Sikh groups, Gaddi and Sippi leaders, members of Kashmiri Pandit community, transporters, Gujjars, Bakerwals and parties National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, People’s Conference, Awami National Conference, CPM and JK People’s Movement held detailed discussions with its constituents over the prevailing situation in the UT.

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READ | BJP Announces First List Of 72 Candidates For J-K DDC Elections