SRINAGAR: In a decisive victory that reaffirmed his influence within Kashmir’s business community, Javid Ahmad Tenga’s panel, Hope21, swept the elections of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), clinching 20 of the 21 seats in the executive committee.
Voting began at 10:00 a.m. and saw a strong turnout as members of the Valley’s premier trade body queued up to cast their ballots. When the results were announced later in the evening, Tenga emerged as the top vote-getter among 30 contestants, securing 464 votes.
He was followed closely by Ashiq Hussain Shangloo with 457 votes and Umer Nazir Tibetbaqal with 452 votes, both from the Hope21 camp.
The Tenga-led panel dominated the results, with several of its candidates among the top scorers. Faiz Ahmad Bakshi secured 445 votes, Fayaz Ahmad Punjabi 443, Altaf Ahmad Tramboo 430, and Ghulam Nabi Bhat 429 votes. Others from the group who made comfortable entries into the executive committee included Farooq Ahmad Kuttoo (423 votes), Showkat Ahmad Pakhtoon (422), Amir Manzoor Guna (421), and Mohammad Ibrahim Siah (421).
In the closely contested lower tier, Muzaffar Majid Jan (416), Irfaan Ahmad Guju (403), Mohammad Latief Bhat (402), Afaq Sarwar Malik (398), Tariq Ahmad Dar (398), Zubair Mahajan (396), Abid Hussain Pandith (368), Touseef Ahmad Bhat (366), and Akib Chaya (350) also secured their places in the 21-member executive body.
Among those who failed to make the cut were Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh (307 votes), Manzoor Ahmad Pakhtoon (241), Sheikh Feroz Ahmad Sidiq (182), Abdul Wahid Malik (158), Mohmad Akram Siah (131), Adil Hussain (119), Majid Aslam Wafai (99), Syed Ehsan Javaid (96), and Sheikh Suhail Ahmad (28).
The elections were conducted under the supervision of the District Administration Srinagar and witnessed an impressive voter turnout.
With the executive committee now in place, the next step will be the selection of office-bearers, including the President, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President, Secretary General, Joint Secretary, and Treasurer.
Tenga, a veteran of the trade fraternity and a former KCCI president, is widely expected to retain the top position, consolidating his leadership of one of the Valley’s most influential business institutions.
