The Josh about Elections is high in Jammu and Kashmir. Ask anyone “How is the josh about the elections?”, and they will reply “High sir”. The party you’re supporting doesn’t really matter.
Abdul Rasheed (the name has been changed), an apple grower, is a busy man these days as he has to go out and buy spray oil for his apple orchids. He left home at 9 AM to buy spray oil and was supposed to be back within an hour. He has arranged the tractor and two labourers. He returned only at 3 PM with an understanding that he expressed—sakh che chikchavv electionook(such a hustle and bustle of elections)”.
The wave about elections in the valley is getting bigger with each passing minute. New Delhi’s deep thinking should be commended. Policy makers have been right on the money by changing the direction of the wind. Ideally, Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir do not grab too many eyeballs because just a handful of MPs (six) are not going to decide the fate of government at the centre in normal circumstances.
Our sitting MPs were the worst performers when it comes to attendance. It hardly matters to the masses who is at the helm because the current set of MPs haven’t been kind and considerate. Elections for urban local bodies were conducted peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir after a hiatus of nine years. The Panchayat elections in Kashmir are always marred with fear as the elected Panchs and Sarpanchs did not enjoy much security.
The last panchayat elections were conducted in 2010 and saw a major turnaround. Nearly 4,130 sarpanches and 29,719 panch constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir were last held after a gap of nearly four decades. A record 80% of people voted despite the 2010 unrest. The 2018 panchayat elections held in Jammu and Kashmir were marred by several boycott calls.
While analyzing the trend regarding the vote percentage from phase one to phase Nine (last phase), an upward trend was visible which increased the overall turnaround to 74.0 %. The officials on duty and the people of Jammu and Kashmir should be commended for there valour and courage. Many will not agree but conducting panchayat and ULB elections in J&K successfully ended up paving the way for the announcement of dates for the 2019 general election in J&K.
ECI officials visited the state to put speculations to rest. Many will argue that: If the situation was conducive, then why weren’t elections conducted simultaneously? The answer to this lies in the history books. The formation of government at the center has a direct bearing on the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2008, National Conference entered into a coalition with the INC, knowing that UPA is at the center when NC has a record of being an NDA allay in the Vajpayee government.
In 2014, late Mufti Sayeed reiterated the same argument when he formed an alliance with BJP saying: “It is the coming together of the North Pole and the South Pole.” He justified his stand by stating that this alliance will benefit Jammu and Kashmir after devastating floods rocked the state in September 2014. An 80,000-crore package was announced, but the package never saw the light of the day. The Centre, along with the Election Commission of India, has played it right this time around by exposing the people of J&K to elections.
The situation had deteriorated when the PDP and the BJP entered into an “unholy alliance.” The locals are being turned into militants. The rising unemployment within the state is believed to be a major reason behind the sorry state of affairs. The common masses are agitated over a number of issues from jobs to security. The current situation in Kashmir is a grim reminder of the 1990s.
A few political pundits went a bit too far and commented that the BJP is expecting a defeat in Jammu and Kashmir. The magic number of 25 seats in 2014 made it the second-largest party in J&K. There is no Modi wave this time around. Nobody knows who’ll rise to power. Let time alone answer this.
New Delhi has played the gamble by transforming the voting behavior of the masses in the state. The current trend suggests that no regional party has clear edge. Rumours are rife that both NC and PDP have lost the ground to either the rebels or to the new entrants. The biggest loser, in this case, is the National Conference, which has always banked on its permanent vote bank.
The Dog fight between PDP and NC over the alienation of youth in the last 10 years is giving advantage to Sajjad Lone’s People Conference. Lone has the distinction of being in constant touch with the BJP quarters.
The Faesal Angle:
The entry of bureaucrat turned politician has made the political scenario in Jammu and Kashmir quite interesting. He has been the trend-setter for Jammu Kashmir youth to pursue civil services as a career. This public reach program is already a roaring hit among the masses.
A high voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be encouraging. Omar Abdullah talked about a scenario wherein the state of Jammu and Kashmir gets to elect its own Prime Minister. He was reminded by someone about the SMS Ban in 2008.
On the other hand, Mehbooba Mufti is trying to regain lost grounds by suggesting that Kashmir will be freed by 2022 if the Article 35A and 370 are tinkered with.
To Conclude
Elections will come and go. Let the miseries of a common man go on forever. I genuinely wish someone walks the talk when it comes to ensuring peace in the valley. No mother should lose his son. Let economy, education and environment (3E’s) flourish forever in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.