DDC Elections: Presence of former ministers, MLAs, MLCs fail to help Apni Party in its maiden electoral test

Srinagar: The presence of “bigwigs” in the newly floated Apni Party failed to help it in the recently held district development council polls in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.      The party managed to win only 12 seats despite more than 20 former ministers and legislators joining it after its formation earlier this year. Many bigwigs and former MLAs/ MLCs including Ghulam Hassan Mir, Usman Majid, Noor Muhammad, Muhammad Ashraf Mir, Javaid Baigh, Shoib Lone, Yawar Dilawar Mir, Dilawar Mir, Javaid Mirchal, Raja Manzoor, Rafi Mir, Abdul Rahim Rather, Abdul Majeed Padder, Manjit Singh, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Ejaz Khan, Mumtaz Khan, Kamal Arora, Vijay Bakya, Syed Asgar Ali and others had joined the party launched by former minister Syed Altaf Bukhari. However, the party secured mere 12 seats despite fielding more than 150 candidates. Interestingly, relatives of many Apni Party leaders were defeated in the electoral test. Wife of Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, former minister,was in fray from Budhal Old A constituency but was defeated by an independent candidate.Similarly, former MLA Rajouri Qamar Hussain’s close relative was also in the electoral fray from Thanamandi constituency, but was defeated by Congress candidate. Shoiab Lone, former legislator from Sangrama assembly constituency in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district was defeated by political greenhorn Irfan Hafiz Lone in DDC polls . Apni Party leader and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said the party was formed just eight months ago and had no infrastructure and other related things. “It is a fact that the party has many prominent leaders, but the matter is that they didn’t get enough time to put forth the programme of the party before their cadre,” he said.He added that the party has not only won 12 seats, but it has supported many independent candidates as well. “It will be too early to speak about the number of independents, but the exact number of seats won by the party will come to the fore very soon,” he said, adding that it is a matter of pride that many leaders including Sarpanchs have joined it so far.Rafi Ahmad Mir, another party leader told that the party didn’t get enough time to aware the people about its agenda. “The party was formed just some months back . We couldn’t couldn’t meet people due to COVID. Besides, the false propaganda made against the party changed the ground situation ,” he said.