Irfan Lone
Kupwara, February 8: It was a day of political twists and turns in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday.
On February 8th, when it almost felt like that People’s Conference would not be able to manage victory on ‘DDC chairperson” seat Kupwara, the sudden entry of Independent DDC member Kalaroos, Chaudhary Mustafa Deedad brought a new hope for People’s Conference members present in the conference Hall.
Interestingly on February 7, District Development Counsil Chairperson elections took a new turn when National Conference (which have only four DDC members) was in full hope that it can oust Peoples Conference from Chairperson and Vice Chairperson seats.
As per reliable sources a National Conference local leader was in close contact with the Apni Party second rung leader and decided to make a deal for “Ouster of Peoples Conference”, which have five DDC members, with the help of an independent candidate and a lone Awami Itehad Party(lead by Er. Rashid’s), DDC member.
A meeting was held in this regard at National Conference leader’s residence here in Kupwara along with an independent candidate from Kalaroos, Chaudhary Mustafa Deedad and DDC member Mawar Khursheed Ahmad(Lone AIP’s member).
“It was decided that Mustafa will be the Chairperson nominee and almost everyone agreed on it. Apni Party wanted their member be given position as well. Perhaps this was the point where National Conference could not agree”, said an authentic source,who was present in the meeting.
There was the ‘Plan B” of National Conference, where they wanted to take more time by no “Chorum” in today’s meeting for DDC chairperson elections, which could have deferred elections and NC would have to buy more time for negotiations.
“Till 7 pm on February 7, this was almost done. But Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone, personally intervened in it and called each member to vote for his party”, said a source in AIP.
According to this source, Sajad Lone’s personal call to these members (Independent member Kalaroos, AIP DDC member Mawar and a second rank leader of Apni Party), to be present in the meeting for DDC Chairman Elections brought the twist in the tale.
“Perhaps this was the turning point where these members thought of supporting Peoples Conference as a ‘local party’ and it overturned National Conference and Apni Party’s PC’s ouster plan”.
On asking why Apni Party later on supported PC instead of abstaining from Voting, this source said, it was a last call because the main two members viz; Mustafa Deedad and Khursheed Ahmad, were already in the meeting Hall.“Perhaps when they learnt that Mustafa and Khursheed have come to participate in DDC chairperson elections, they too decided to join”, he added.
Interestingly it was on 1pm when Mustafa Deedad entered the conference hall followed by AIP’s Khursheed Ahmad DDC member Mawar Who reached to hall around 1:15 and was followed by Apni Party’s Najma Hameed, DDC Tanghdar. (With inputs from Kupwara Times )
