New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday thanked the people of Jammu and Kashmir for voting BJP as the single largest party in the District Development Council elections and congratulated them for such a great turnout in the maiden polls.

In a series of tweets, Amit Shah said that the Modi government is doing everything possible to restore the grass-root democracy in Jammu & Kashmir.

Modi government is doing everything possible to restore the grass root democracy in Jammu & Kashmir. The recently held DDC polls for the first time in the history of J&K is the testimony of the same.

The mass participation in these elections reflects people’s faith in democracy.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 23, 2020

Congratulations to the people of J&K for such great turnout in DDC polls. I applaud the efforts of our security forces & local administration for successfully conducting these multi-phased elections. This will further boost the morale and trust of people of J&K in democracy, Shah added

Congratulations to the people of J&K for such great turnout in DDC polls. I applaud the efforts of our security forces & local administration for successfully conducting these multi-phased elections. This will further boost the morale and trust of people of J&K in democracy.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 23, 2020

I heartily thank our sisters and brothers of J&K for voting BJP as the single largest party in the District Development Council elections. BJP under the leadership of PM @narendramodi ji will continue to work relentlessly towards the prosperity and development of the J&K region, further added

I heartily thank our sisters and brothers of J&K for voting BJP as the single largest party in the District Development Council elections. BJP under the leadership of PM @narendramodi ji will continue to work relentlessly towards the prosperity and development of the J&K region.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 23, 2020

BJP emerges as single largest party with 74 seats, PAGD bags 112

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), led by Farooq Abdullah, bagged 112 seats in the first-ever elections to the 288 District Development Councils (DDCs) while BJP emerged as the single-largest party winning 74 seats.

Jammu and Kashmir DDC elections tally at 9.30 am:

BJP- 74
National Conference – 67
Independent – 49
J&K PDP: 27
Congress: 26
Apni Party: 12

(Data source: J&K State Election Authority) pic.twitter.com/z5KHPm3pAV

— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2020

The PAGD comprises of seven parties- Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen Shah’s Jammu and Kashmir People Democratic Front (PDF), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Javid Mustafa’s Jammu and Kashmir People Movement (JKPM), Sajjad Lone’s Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) and Muzaffar Shah’s Awami National Conference.

Congress secured 26 seats, Altaf Bukhari’s Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party registered victory on 12 seats while Independent candidates won on 49 seats.

Other parties include Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) which won 2 seats while BSP secured one seat. Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said that his party has performed well and has a cleary majority in six districts in Jammu.