Implications of the DDC results on Jammu region

On 26 December 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir opened a new chapter in the region’s politics. He said that it was a "moment of pride" for India.

Contrary to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s claims of having established its acceptability across Jammu and Kashmir, the party’s performance in the DDC elections paints a different picture.

The BJP won just 75 of the 280 DDC seats, just three of them in the Kashmir Valley. On the other hand, the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) won 110 seats, and the BJP arch-rivals the Congress won 26 seats. The recently formed Apni Party managed to win just 12 seats, while the remaining 50 were won by independent candidates. Counting on two seats was halted after questions were raised over the citizenship of some of the candidates.