The BJP emerged victorious in the urban local body elections in four districts of south Kashmir today, winning 53 of the 132 wards, where voting was held in four phases earlier this month, election officials said.
The unprecedented victory for the BJP has given it control of at least four of the 20 civic bodies in the four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian.
The results of 94 wards of south Kashmir have been declared so far in which the Congress has managed to win 28 seats. The party, thus, will have control of at least three municipal bodies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did well in Shopian where its candidates won in 12 wards unopposed. Five wards in the district did not have any nominations.
In Devsar municipal committee, the BJP won all eight seats. The area is represented by Congress leader Mohammad Amin Bhat in the legislative assembly.
The BJP got a simple majority in Qazigund Municipal Committee, winning four of the seven wards. The other three wards had no candidates.
In Pahalgam municipal committee, the party won seven of the 13 seats uncontested, while there were no candidates for the remaining six seats.
The Congress, on the other hand, won a thumping majority in Dooru municipal committee, the stronghold of state Congress chief GA Mir. The party bagged 14 of the 17 seats, while the BJP managed to win two seats. One seat remained vacant.
Congress also won in Kokernag municipal committee, bagging six of the eight seats. In Yaripora, the party bagged three seats, while the remaining three seats were vacant due to absence of candidates.
Independents won 13 seats in the elections.
The counting of votes of Anantnag and Mattan -- the other two civic bodies in south Kashmir -- is going on and the results are expected later today.
Elsewhere, Congress won the Budgam municipal committee getting six seats, while the BJP won four seats. Three seats were vacant.
In Chrar-e-Sharief, Congress won 11 of the 13 seats, while the remaining two seats were vacant. In Chadoora too, the party won six of the eight seats, while there was no candidate for the other five seats.
Local Body Polls In J&K Unlikely Before Lok Sabha Polls: Official Cop Injured In Grenade Attack In Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag Jailed PDP Leader, Gupkar Alliance Candidate Waheed Para Wins J&K Local Polls Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Mob Sets Cars On Fire After 15-Year-Old Stabbed Inside Udaipur School 20 Coaches Of Sabarmati Express Train Derail In UP, No Casualties Two Sisters Returning From Court Run Over By Car In UP: Cops India Sends 1,400 kg Anti-Cancer Drugs To Syria In Humanitarian Assistance Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.