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Srinagar, Jan 13: In a major jolt to Apni Party, its five district development council (DDC) members from Srinagar resigned from the party on Thursday.

Bilal Ahmad Bhat, who was elected as vice-chairperson of DDC Srinagar last year, said that he along with other four DDC members have resigned from the party today.

“We have won election as independent candidates in 2020 and later joined Apni Party. Now we have decided that we will continue as independent councilors,” he said.

Bilal said DDC members Ali Muhammad, Muhammad Shaban, Shamima and Muhammad Yasin have also resigned from the party.

Although the Apni Party had managed to win only 12 DDC seats in 2020, it managed to get its candidates elected as DDC chairpersons and vice-chairpersons in Srinagar and Shopian districts by wooing elected candidates from other parties and independents.

In the election, its candidates won just three seats in Srinagar and two in Shopian out of 14 in each of the two districts.

The NC had then alleged that Apni Party was using pressure tactics to poach winning candidates from other parties. kno