Below expectation tally takes PDP enthusiasm away despite victory

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 23: Notwithstanding the emergence of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the single largest party, which is most likely to form next Government in Jammu and Kashmir, below expectation tally dampened the enthusiasm of party workers and leaders on victory in Assembly polls.
Despite securing highest ever Assembly seats, there was no festivity at the PDP Headquarters in Gandhi Nagar Jammu where the local leaders remained glued to television screen anxiously waiting and praying for further improvement in the party tally.
A mix of little pleasure on expecting next Government of the party and anxiety over number of seats remaining below expectations, was visible on the faces of party leaders, who were seen making guesses on the final tally and possible alliance partner for forming next Government in the State.
The situation can be gauged from the fact that the firecrackers, which were purchased in the morning for the victory celebration at the party headquarters, remained unused even as a handful of youth workers burst some crackers amidst slogan shouting.
The party headquarters, which used to remain buzz with political hustle bustle, was thronged since early morning amidst speculations that the PDP might secure a good number of seats, between 36 and 40, in the elections results. However enthusiasm of the party workers and leaders, which was on higher side in the early morning hours following initial trends, started turning into anxiety with the reports of changes in party candidates position vis-à-vis others in fray.
The nervousness kept fluctuating with the passage of each moment and change in tally position till late afternoon. Soon after the final result for all the seats became clear through media, all the workers and leaders preferred to leave the office for home.
“Final outcome of the result and the party tally is below our expectations and this has really disappointed us even as we have emerged as number one in the Assembly,” said former MLC and senior PDP leader Ved Mahajan while admitting dissatisfaction over the party performance in the polls.
Besides Mr Mahajan, PDP vice-president Rafiq Khan, ex MLC Depinder Kour, ex Corporator Zafar Khan, youth leader Rajinder Manhas and Vivek Sharma were among those sitting patiently in the party office with fingers crossed till final results were announced.
Trilok Singh Bajwa was the only PDP candidate who visited the party office after getting out of race in the counting of votes. However, he also left for home after the trends established that PDP tally was unlikely to reach near the expected number.
Reports from Rajouri, Darhal and Poonch, where PDP candidates registered win, said that there was also no major victory celebration on these seats, apparently because of overall performance remaining below expectations.

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