Friday, February 14th, 2025

Everyone’s eyes are fixed, why is Kashmir election very special?


Author: Anil Anand
Elections in Jammu and Kashmir have always been difficult to understand. And this time they are taking place after a gap of ten years and amidst far-reaching constitutional changes. These changes related to Article 370 have had an impact not only geographically, but also psychologically. People of both Jammu and Kashmir regions are still trying to understand this new structure.

Relatively quiet valley
Jammu and Kashmir has always been a sensitive region and its electoral history has also been very complex. This time all eyes are on the Kashmir Valley, which now appears to be somewhat normal after three decades of terrorism. However, a new round of terrorism in the upper reaches of the Jammu region may prove to be a challenge in ensuring peaceful elections.

three teams came together
An alliance between the Congress, National Conference and CPM has been announced. It is being called the INDIA Block alliance. But it is not really so. Another important opposition alliance partner, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Mehbooba Mufti, has been left out. This is due to local tug-of-war and the fact that the National Conference is the biggest force in Kashmir and also has influence in some areas of Jammu where the BJP has dominated for the last decade.

BJP’s view
There is no doubt that a strong and united India would have been in a better position to challenge the BJP. The BJP is not only trying to maintain its dominance in Jammu, but is also looking for new ways to make its presence felt in Muslim-dominated Kashmir.

Mistakes from the opposition
On the unity front, Farooq Abdullah and the Congress leadership should have kept in mind the fact that in the recent Lok Sabha elections, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah had to face defeat at the hands of jailed separatist Engineer Rashid. Not only this, despite the favorable atmosphere due to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and some local factors, Congress lost both the seats in Jammu region. All this happened despite getting more votes than in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Broad consensus issues
Local factors are important in Jammu and Kashmir. The current assembly elections are no different. However, these regional lines have blurred somewhat after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Today, there is broad consensus on some issues, such as restoration of statehood, protection of land and employment rights, and livelihood-related issues.

Direct contest in Jammu
The Jammu region is Hindu majority but the population mix is ​​different. There is bound to be a contest between BJP and India here. Congress is organisationally weak and is struggling to break free from the dominance of old leaders and field new and credible faces, but it is still the dominant party in the alliance.

Voter sympathies
The incident of Engineer Rashid is a surprising turn. Filing nomination for Baramulla Lok Sabha seat from inside Tihar Jail created sympathy among the voters. As a result, Omar Abdullah had to face defeat. But the big question is whether the same situation will be seen in the assembly elections as well? Steps have already been taken in this direction.

Awami Ittehad Party
Engineer Rashid’s newly formed ‘Awami Ittehad Party’ has released its first list of candidates, in which representation has been given to other parts of the valley besides North Kashmir. It is clear that after registering an unexpected victory in the Lok Sabha, Engineer Rashid’s supporters want to repeat that success in the assembly elections.

Jamaat in the election race
Another important development that could come as a big blow to the opposition led by Dr. Abdullah in the Kashmir Valley is the participation of the separatist and fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami in the elections. Ghulam Qadir Lone, head of the eight-member committee that handles the organisational work of the Jamaat, has announced that the Jamaat is ready to participate in the elections.

Prison and ban
Interestingly, just as Engineer Rashid is in jail on charges of money laundering under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the central government has also banned Jamaat-e-Islami in 2019. Any separatist organization contesting assembly elections means that the ban on it should be lifted and its jailed leaders should be released. Note that Engineer Rashid has also filed a bail petition in a Delhi court.

Centre and BJP’s stand
The question is what is the stand of the central government and the BJP, which has a nationalist agenda, in this matter. This is a very important question in the context of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

(The author is a senior journalist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own



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