LC polls: BJP wins 3, PDP, NC, Cong 1 each

Srinagar, Apr 3: ruling BJP has won three seats, while its alliance partner could win only one seat despite having enough strength of MLAs to win two seats, while opposition National Conference and Congress won one each seats.
The elections for the six seats which fell vacant were held Monday in Jammu. Though four candidates were elected unopposed as members of Legislative Council, while voting for two seats were held today.
Three candidates on Kashmir seats including PDP’s incumbent legislators Yasir Reshi, NC’s Aga Syed Mahmood, and BJP’s G L Raina alias Ajay Bharati were elected unopposed on April 4, while BJP’s candidate on reserved seat of Poonch in Jammu region, Pradeep Kumar Sharma, was also elected unopposed. No other political party had fielded any candidate opposite to Sharma on Poonch seat. Ashok Kumar Bhat, who had filed his nomination papers on BJP’s seat withdrew his candidature.
Today’s contest was on two seats of Jammu region between rival PDP-BJP and NC-Congress. Three candidates, Abdul Qayoom Dar (PDP), Choudhary Vikram Randhwha (BJP) and Thakur Balbir Singh (Congress) were in the race for these two seats. BJP’s Randhwha and Congress’s Singh were declared winners after the contest today.
Six seats are falling vacant on April 19 as the members on these seats will retire after two years term. Those members who are retiring include Jehangir Mir, Jugal Kishore of Congress, Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri, Master Noor Hussain, DS Oberoi (deceased) of National Conference and ruling PDP’s Yasir Reshi. The seats becoming vacant belong to Kashmir region (three seats), Jammu (two separate) and one seat reserved for Poonch. (KNS)