Srinagar: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries held its election today after three years of delay and Hope 21 group made a landslide victory. 42 candidates were in the poll fray of whom 21 emerged victorious.
Those who have been elected include Aashaq Hussain Shangloo, Faiz Ahmad Bakshi, Javid Ahmad Bhat, Amir Manzoor, Muzaffar Majid Jan, Ashfaq Ahmad Zahgeer, Farooq Ahamd Kuthoo, Ghulam Nabi Bhat, Fayaz Ahmad Punjabi, Altaf Ahmad Tramboo, Jagmohan Singh Raina, Mohammad Lateif Bhat, Siah Mohammad Ibrahim, Suhail Jan, Zubair Mahajan, Touseef Ahmad Bhat, Feroz Ahmad Bisati, Showkat Khan and Zahoor Hussain Alamgir.
The executive committee will now elect its body within a day.
Forty-two contestants participated in the 89-year-old traders’ body elections. Around 1,094 voters were to cast their votes to elect 21 executive members, including for the president and vice-president of the KCCI.
The KCCI elections were due in 2019 and were delayed due to the clampdown that followed the Government of India’s move to end J&K’s special status in August 2019. The Lieutenant Governor’s (L-G) administration dragged its feet over allowing the election for the last three years.
Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Mohammad Aijaz, and the Assistant Commissioner-Revenue oversaw the election process.
According to the KCCI, losses of about Rs 17,000 crore were inflicted on Kashmir’s traders; they were caused by Internet blackouts and curfews after August 2019.
