NC to field Pooja, Dr Shan in Kishtwar, Ramban
Lone ST Ind woman emerges front-runner in Poonch
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 4: First-ever election for the posts of chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the District Development Councils (DDCs) in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held through secret ballot, official sources told the Excelsior and said the contestants would require the support of at least two elected members to file nomination papers including one proposer and another seconder.
Sources said that four phased elections for the posts of chairpersons and vice chairpersons of 10 DDCs in Jammu will be held on February 6, 8, 10 and 13. Election for Jammu and Kathua districts is scheduled to be held on February 6, Udhampur and Doda districts on February 8, Samba and Reasi districts on February 10 and Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch districts on February 13.
“Election will be held through secret ballot for which all arrangements have been made by the Deputy Commissioners,” sources said, adding that names of the persons desirous of contesting elections has to be supported by two elected members including one as proposer and another as seconder. In view of this, Samba and Kathua would see unanimous elections as in both the districts, BJP has 13 out of 14 members and lone Opposition member can’t contest.
The candidates can file their nomination forms on the day of election. If two or more nominations are received in order, the election will be held. However, if there is only one contestant, he will be declared elected unopposed.
Meanwhile, with the BJP having already decided names of chairpersons and vice chairpersons for six districts where it enjoyed majority, the National Conference has decided to field Pooja Thakur for the post of chairperson of Kishtwar District Development Council (DDC) and Dr Shamshad Shan in Ramban, both women reserved while eight Independent members in Poonch district, who enjoyed majority were close to consensus on lone Independent ST woman for the post of chairperson as the seat has been reserved for ST woman but a final call hasn’t been taken as yet.
Insiders in the National Conference told the Excelsior that they have decided to field Pooja Thakur for the post of chairperson for Kishtwar DDC while choice has narrowed down to Zakir Hussain Bhat and Abdul Razzaq Lone for the post of vice chairperson.
NC has gained majority in Kishtwar district. It has its six members while one of its leaders had won as an Independent. With support of another Independent, the NC now has support of eight members, which is the majority mark in the House of 14.
Kishtwar district has been reserved for women.
In Ramban district, which is also women reserved district, the National Conference will be fielding prominent educated woman Dr Shamshad Shan, DDC member from Sangaldan, for the post of chairperson. The post of vice chairperson is likely to go to the Congress.
It may be mentioned here that National Conference and Congress with six and two seats respectively in the Ramban DDC had entered into local-level adjustments to claim majority. BJP with three and an alliance of Independents with equal number of members were also in talks with each other but fell short of two seats.
However, in Poonch district, which has been reserved for ST women, there are three eligible candidates for the post of chairperson. Two of them belonged to the Congress and another is an Independent. Independents have won eight seats in Poonch, Congress four and National Conference two.
With Independents in majority and in no mood to support two ST women candidates, who have won the election on Congress mandate, the prospectus are bright for Tajeem Akhter, who is from ST category and has won the election from Sathra seat as an Independent candidate.
Significantly, Tajeem Akhter’s sister-in-law has also won the election on Congress mandate.
Couple of Independent candidates to whom the Excelsior spoke said the choice is very limited as the district has been reserved for ST women.
“There are only three ST women candidates and we have to pick one of them. Majority of the Independent candidates are of the view that the chairperson should be Independent who enjoyed majority in Poonch with eight seats out of a total of 14,” one of the DDC members said.
Uncertainty, however, prevailed in Rajouri district where too no party has gained majority. NC has five seats, BJP and Congress three each and Apni Party, PDP and Independent one each. Rajouri has been reserved for ST category. Chances are that NC and Congress might join hands. Things will, however, be clear in next few days as Rajouri will elect chairperson and vice chairperson on February 13.
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