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{{Short description|Kashmiri politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh
| image = Mukhtar Ahmad.jpg
| caption =
| office = Vice-Chairperson of District Development Council, Pulwama
| term_start = 10 February 2021
| party = [[Jammu and Kashmir National Conference]]
| birth_place = Banderpora, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| parents = Mohammad Khalil Bandh
}}

'''Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh''' is an Indian politician who serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the [[Pulwama district|Pulwama]] [[District Development Council]] (DDC) in Jammu and Kashmir. He is affiliated with the [[Jammu and Kashmir National Conference]] (JKNC), and was elected from the Litter constituency in the Pulwama DDC in December 2020 with the [[People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration]] (PAGD) coalition.

== Early life and family ==
Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh hails from Banderpora village of [[Pulwama district]] in the Kashmir Valley. He is the son of [[Mohammad Khalil Bandh]], a senior politician and former minister in Jammu and Kashmir government.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Hussain |first=Yawar |date=4 June 2021 |title=Turf Wars |url=https://kashmirlife.net/turf-wars-issue-35-vol-12-253337/ |access-date=20 June 2025 |work=[[Kashmir Life]]}}</ref>

== Political career ==
In 2019 Bandh was detained in the state-wide protests in Jammu and Kashmir after the [[Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir|abrogation of Article 370]] by the Indian parliament. He was elected from the Litter constituency in the Pulwama District Development Council (PDDC) in 2020 on the JKNC party ticket, and subsequently won its vice-chairperson post.

=== Detention and release post Article 370 abrogation ===
Bandh had previously joined the [[Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party|People's Democratic Party (PDP)]]<ref name=":1">{{cite web |date=17 January 2020 |title=4 More Mainstream Leaders Released |url=https://kashmirobserver.net/2020/01/17/4-more-mainstream-leaders-released/ |access-date=20 June 2025 |website=Kashmir Observer |agency=[[Press Trust of India]]}}</ref> like his father, Mohammad Khalil Bandh who one of its founding members. Khalil joined the [[Jammu and Kashmir National Conference]] (JKNC) party in July 2019 citing humiliation from the party leadership.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 July 2019 |title=Former PDP leader Mohammad Khalil Bandh joins NC |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/former-pdp-leader-mohammad-khalil-bandh-joins-nc-748602.html |access-date=22 June 2025 |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |agency=[[Press Trust of India]]}}</ref>

After the [[Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir|abrogation of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir]] by the Indian parliament on 5 August 2019, Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir administration and lodged at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, along with several other mainstream political leaders. On 13 February 2020, he was released as part of the phased release of detainees. Other released leaders included Altaf Kaloo, Showkat Ganaie, [[Salman Sagar]], and [[Nizam Uddin Bhat]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web |date=14 February 2020 |title=Four more leaders released from detention in J&K |url=https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=664314 |access-date=20 June 2025 |website=Daijiworld}}</ref>

=== Pulwama District Development Council ===
After the abrogation, the three-tier [[panchayati raj]] system was implemented in the [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|union territory of Jammu and Kashmir]]. The first [[District Development Council]] elections were held in eight phases in the winter of 2020. The JKNC fielded Bandh as its candidate for the Litter constituency in the Pulwama DDC.<ref name=":0" /> In December 2020 he won the seat defeating the nearest rival, Mushtaq Ahmad Yatoo of [[Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party|Apni Party]] by 894 votes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 December 2020 |title=DDC Results: PAGD Tops With 45 Berths From 108 Results So Far |url=https://kashmirlife.net/ddc-results-many-independents-among-38-declared-winners-255730/ |access-date=21 June 2025 |work=[[Kashmir Life]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=22 December 2020 |title=DDC Results: Many independents among 38 declared winners |url=https://kashmirlife.net/ddc-results-many-independents-among-38-declared-winners-255730/ |access-date=19 June 2025 |website=[[Kashmir Life]]}}</ref> He took the oath for the office on 28 December 2020.{{cn|date=November 2025}}

On 10 February 2021, as part of [[People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration]], Bandh won the post of vice-chairperson of the Pulwama DDC with nine votes over Minha Lateef on the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] who secured four votes.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bukhari |first=Fayaz |date=11 February 2021 |title=PAGD gets Chairpersons, Vice Chairpersons Pulwama, Ganderbal |url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/pagd-gets-chairpersons-vice-chairpersons-pulwama-ganderbal/ |access-date=19 June 2025 |website=Daily Excelsior}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=10 February 2021 |title=DDC Pulwama: PAGD wins chairperson, VC posts |url=https://www.thekashmirmonitor.net/pdp-bags-ddc-chairperson-nc-gets-vice-chairperson-posts-in-pulwama/ |access-date=19 June 2025 |website=The Kashmir Monitor}}</ref> His alliance partner from [[Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party|People's Democratic Party]] was elected the chairperson.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 February 2021 |title=PAGD wins DDC chief polls in 2 dists |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/j-k/pagd-wins-ddc-chief-polls-in-2-dists-210707/ |access-date=22 June 2025 |work=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 February 2021 |title=NC, PDP bag DDC posts in Pulwama, Ganderbal |url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/kashmir/nc-pdp-bag-ddc-posts-in-pulwama-ganderbal/ |access-date=22 June 2025 |work=[[Greater Kashmir]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wani |first=Fayaz |date=11 February 2021 |title=Gupkar allies win DDC chief polls in two places |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/Feb/11/gupkar-allies-win-ddc-chief-polls-in-two-places-2262506.html |access-date=20 June 2025 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref>

=== Public service and development work ===
Bandh continues to work for implementation of rural development schemes and infrastructure improvements in the district.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ganaie |first=Jahangeer |date=17 June 2025 |title=Awantipora canal breach: Restoration work taken up, completion expected by weekend |url=https://www.kashmirnewsobserver.com/top-stories/awantipora-canal-breach-restoration-work-taken-up-completion-expected-by-weekend-kno-195923 |access-date=19 June 2025 |website=Kashmir News Observer}}</ref> He has actively participated in addressing rural governance issues. In 2023, he raised concerns about solid waste mismanagement in rural Pulwama and emphasised the need for systemic improvement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Solid waste not being managed in rural areas: VC DDC Pulwama |url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/solid-waste-not-being-managed-in-rural-areas-vc-ddc-pulwama/ |website=Daily Excelsior |date=18 April 2023 |access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>

In June 2025, following the breach of the Awantipora canal, he visited the affected area, oversaw the response measures, and assured residents that restoration would be completed by the weekend.<ref>{{cite web |title=Awantipora canal breach: Restoration work taken up, completion expected by weekend |url=https://www.kashmirnewsobserver.com/top-stories/awantipora-canal-breach-restoration-work-taken-up-completion-expected-by-weekend-kno-195923 |website=Kashmir News Observer |date=17 June 2025 |access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bandh, Mukhtar Ahmad}}
[[Category:Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh - Revision history

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