People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to contest in J&K District Development Council elections

JAMMU: People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, an amalgam of mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, decides to participate unitedly in upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections in the Union Territory.
The parties, including the National Conference (NC) and the PDP, are part of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which was formed for the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Elections to DDCs and vacant posts of sarpanch and panch will be held in eight phases from December 1 to December 24 in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a notification issued by the J&K Election Commission on Friday.
The PAGD spokesperson, Sajad Ghani Lone, said, “One point of the agenda was the upcoming DDC elections, and a unanimous decision was taken that we will fight these elections unitedly despite the abruptness of the timing.
“All of a sudden, they (government) sprung a surprise and are going to finish the task within a month,” said Mr Lone, who was flanked by NC leader and PAGD chairperson Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief and the alliance’s vice-chairperson Mehbooba Mufti.
He said the PAGD will go through the modalities and Farooq Abdullah would release the names of candidates.
NC vice president Omar Abdullah and CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami, were among the other leaders, who were at the meeting.