Independents take lead in AJK LG polls

MUZAFFARABAD: Independent candidates took lead in first phase of Local Government (LG) elections of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) held on Sunday by securing 157 seats out of 454 followed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan people’s party which secured 94 each while Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) got 85 seats.

The election commission announced the official results of 454 seats of district and union councils municipal corporations municipal committees and town committees out of 669 seats till Monday evening.

According to results All Jammu Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKLMC) secured 22 seats of the total while Jammu Kashmir people’s party (JK-PP) could secure only seat in first phase of the elections.

Out of 74 district council seats results of 53 were announced and PTI won 17 followed by 16 independents while PPP secured 9 PMLN 7 Muslim Conference 3 and JK-PP secured one seat. Out of a total of 535 union council’s seats results of 349 were announced and independents won the majority securing 131 seats followed by PPP which obtained 75 seats while PTI got 65 PMLN 60 MC 17 and TLP secured one seat.

The Municipal Corporation of the capital was won by PMLN by securing 12 seats out of 36 followed by PTI securing 8 seats while PPP and independents 7 each and 2 seats won by MC. Three seats of municipal committees out of 7 results announced were won by PPP while PTI and PMLN got 2 seats each out of 10 total seats. Out of 14 seats of 4 town committees results of 9 seats were announced and PMLN won 4 followed by 3 independents and 2 by PTI.