Jammu, Dec 22 (IANS): The latest trends in the counting of votes for the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir indicated that the Farooq Abdullah-led People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has taken a big lead over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as the counting of votes is underway on Tuesday to determine the fate of 2,178 candidates.

According to the latest leads reported for 231 out of 280 segments that went to the polls across J&K, the PAGD is leading on 96 seats while the BJP is ahead on 56 constituencies.

The overall voting percentage in all the eight phases across the Union Territory was 51.42 per cent and over 30 lakh votes have been counted at the counting centres across J&K.

The PAGD is an alliance of Kashmir's mainstream parties which is fighting the elections jointly to prevent the BJP from making inroads in J&K.

The PAGD was floated on October 7 for the reversal of constitutional changes made to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah was appointed the president of the alliance, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti its vice president and People's Conference leader Sajad Lone as the spokesperson and CPI-M leader Yousuf Taragami as its convenor. The flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was adopted as the symbol of the alliance.