NC sweeps Srinagar, deadlock in Jammu

The Opposition National Conference carried the Srinagar Municipal Corporation in a landslide victory, while Jammu handed in a hung verdict i...

The Opposition National Conference carried the Srinagar Municipal Corporation in a landslide victory, while Jammu handed in a hung verdict in the second phase of civic elections in Kashmir on Wednesday.

The National Conference won 41 of 61 wards in Srinagar, offsetting a miserable show in the first phase of the civic polls in North Kashmir. The 27 wards the Congress won in Jammu was a setback for the party —— it holds all the three Assembly seats in the city —— as the BJP made significant inroads with 25 wards.

The ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was left far behind in Srinagar with only 17 seats while six candidates of its ally, the Congress, were declared successful. Four seats were won by independent candidates.

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The National Conference had been routed in the first phase of polls held in Baramulla and Kupwara districts on January 29, where it managed to win only 19 of the 138 wards.

These results signify the revival of the National Conference, said a senior NC leader and former minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar. ‘‘We have won the civic polls despite malpractices from the ruling PDP and its partners, ’’ Sagar added.

National Conference candidates have been declared elected from most of the urban wards of Srinagar especially downtown, which witnessed a very low polling percentage yesterday.

In Jammu, the key to the deadlock now lies with the Independents, who won in nine wards. Five are Congress rebels. The People’s Democratic Party won two seats here, while one seat has gone to BJP ally Shiv Sena and another to the BSP. Immediately after the results were declared, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah said he is would be in Jammu on Thursday to decide the future strategy.

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Asked if they were with the BJP during the NDA government, he replied, ‘‘We were with the National Democratic Alliance, not with the BJP. Their agenda do not match with ours. We will not take any decision in haste.’’ Sources said the state BJP leaders today approached senior leaders in Delhi regarding the National Conference’s support to get its candidate elected as Mayor.

The party is also approaching Independents for support. State BJP spokesman Hari Om said the results proved that people were not happy with the Congress. In 1980, when civic elections were held last, the BJP had elected its mayor with the help of the National Conference.

As for the Congress, Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma claimed a few Independents now want to support the party. ‘‘We are hopeful that we will touch the magic number of 36,’’ he added.

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