Gupkar Alliance leaders Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have called their massive lead in the DDC elections an endorsement to continue their fight for the restoration of the Article 370 that was abrogated last year by the Modi government.

In a series of tweets on Tuesday evening, these leaders thanked the people for the confidence expressed in the PAGD.

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Omar Abdullah tweeted; “The people have endorsed this alliance and we now have the mandate to continue to fight for what we started with, which is our opposition to the changes made on august 5, 2019”.

“The @JKPAGD is an alliance that emerged out of the betrayal of the people of J&K on 5th Aug 2019. We have faced every obstacle – illegal detentions, agency threats & pressures, our candidates were locked up to stop them campaigning & from all this we are emerging victorious”.

The @JKPAGD is an alliance that emerged out of the betrayal of the people of J&K on 5th Aug 2019. We have faced every obstacle – illegal detentions, agency threats & pressures, our candidates were locked up to stop them campaigning & from all this we are emerging victorious.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 22, 2020

“The trends that have emerged in the DDC polls in J&K are very encouraging for the @JKPAGD. The BJP had made this election a prestige issue about Art 370 & J&K’s special status. The people have now spoken & it’s for those who believe in democracy to pay heed to these voices”.

The trends that have emerged in the DDC polls in J&K are very encouraging for the @JKPAGD. The BJP had made this election a prestige issue about Art 370 & J&K’s special status. The people have now spoken & it’s for those who believe in democracy to pay heed to these voices.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 22, 2020

“All of us in the @JKPAGD are deeply indebted & grateful to the people of J&K for your support at this critical juncture. We reaffirm our commitment to use all democratic & legal weapons at our disposal to continue to fight for our rights”.

All of us in the @JKPAGD are deeply indebted & grateful to the people of J&K for your support at this critical juncture. We reaffirm our commitment to use all democratic & legal weapons at our disposal to continue to fight for our rights.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 22, 2020

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted; “Todays DDC results have made it clear that people of J&K voted en masse for @JKPAGD thus rejecting the unconstitutional decision to abrogate Article 370. They have overwhelmingly supported @JKPAGD which stands for restoration of J&Ks special status”.

Todays DDC results have made it clear that people of J&K voted en masse for @JKPAGD thus rejecting the unconstitutional decision to abrogate Article 370. They have overwhelmingly supported @JKPAGD which stands for restoration of J&Ks special status.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 22, 2020

“Our win is dedicated to PAGD cadre who worked tirelessly to ensure our success. GOI left no stone unturned to create hurdles for us. Beginning with @parawahid’s arrest a day after he filed his DDC nominations, restricting our movement & not allowing us to campaign”.

In another tweet Mehbooba said; “I was illegally detained thrice over the course of a fortnight. PAGD candidates were locked up in a government building while others barred from canvassing. Despite all these obstacles PAGD emerged as winners. This has been a hard earned victory for all us”.

I was illegally detained thrice over the course of a fortnight. PAGD candidates were locked up in a government building while others barred from canvassing. Despite all these obstacles PAGD emerged as winners. This has been a hard earned victory for all us.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 22, 2020

“Even after a split in PDP engineered by GOI & all the attempts to write us off, my cadre worked day & night to ensure party’s victory. I am extremely grateful to them”, she added.

Even after a split in PDP engineered by GOI & all the attempts to write us off, my cadre worked day & night to ensure party’s victory. I am extremely grateful to them.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 22, 2020

CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami tweeted; “People united shall always be victorious. We are humbled by the support and faith people of Kulgam have reposed on us. We felicitate all the winning candidates and salute those who could not make it this time”.

People united shall always be victorious. We are humbled by the support and faith people of Kulgam have reposed on us. We felicitate all the winning candidates and salute those who could not make it this time. https://t.co/7yGQtJmL7p

— M Y Tarigami (@tarigami) December 22, 2020

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the results of the Jammu and Kashmir local polls were “very encouraging” adding that she would not contest any election until special status was restored under Article 370.

“When it comes to assembly polls, I will not file any elections until and unless Jammu and Kashmir’s own constitution is brought back until Article 370 is restored,” Mehbooba Mufti said while talking to NDTV.

On the question of Gupkar Alliance/PAGD, she said, “We have been rivals but for the larger cause of J&K we can all get together. We are Kashmiris at the end of the day. We are not talking only about elections but for the larger cause of restoring what was lost.”

The Gupkar Alliance/PAGD includes National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“Whenever assembly polls are held we will sit together and discuss (on Chief Ministership). I am not in the race,” she said over a Chief Ministerial candidate amid intense rivalries and the possibility of a tussle if state polls were to be held.

Mufti also defended her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s decision to partner with the BJP in an alliance that collapsed before time.

“My father made a deal with the devil. Mufti did not join hands with (Prime Minister Narendra Modi but with the Prime Minister of India, to resolve the problems of Kashmir. My father tried to engage the BJP through an alliance. Our agenda was the same and we entered into the alliance on our terms. They agreed to everything, but after the government fell, they did what they wanted,” said Mufti as reported by NDTV.

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), also called the Gupkar Alliance, the seven-party coalition led by former Union Minister and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has made huge gains in the first-ever polls to the Jammu and Kashmir District Development Council held across 20 districts the erstwhile state by emerging victorious in 13 districts.

The Gupkar Alliance was formed after the abrogation of Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and other leaders of the valley were detained in August last year to prevent protests. The NC leaders Farooq and Omar Abdullah were released in March while PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was released in October after over a year of being detained.