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jammu & kashmir

to form the government. The NC, how- in the party’s favour. This brings into the PDP and the NC. And just when the
ever, has been trying to gain the major- play factors that go beyond the political alleged plan was due to reach its logi-
ity on its own. interests of regional party,” says Naseer cal conclusion, the PDP, the NC and the
This leaves the smaller parties like Ahmad, a columnist. “Central govern- Congress came together in a grand alli-
the People’s Conference led by Sajad ment has the power to interfere in the ance to stake claim to form the govern-
Gani Lone, which is perceived to be state’s political affairs.In Kashmir, it is ment. At the same time Lone also staked
close to the BJP leadership. However, seen capable of making and breaking claim, asserting he was supported by
the PC’s all time highest score in an the parties. So, a regional party will be the requisite number of candidates
Assembly election is two seats. This chary of antagonizing the government from the other parties. In response, the
hardly gives the party a role in govern- at the centre”. Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved
ment formation. However, in recent A case in point is the dismissal of the the Assembly. Later, in a speech, Malik
past, the PC has been strengthened by Farooq Abdullah led NC government indicated that he was under pressure
the entry of some leaders from the PDP, in 1982 and the formation of a new from New Delhi to install Lone.
each of whom can boast of a constitu- government constituted of Congress, “I would like to make it clear once
ency of their own. But even with their then a ruling party at the centre, and again, that if I would have looked to-
support, the PC is unlikely to cross five a breakaway faction of the NC led by wards Delhi, I would’ve been forced to
seats. The PDP’s fate is likely to be simi- Ghulam Mohammad Shah, the brother form Lone’s govt and I would have gone
lar. Its three year government in coali- on to be remembered as a dishonest
tion with the BJP has made it unpopular man in the annals of history,” Governor
to an extent where few people expect it Ahead of the Satya Pal Malik had said at a function
to do well. upcoming Lok Sabha in New Delhi shortly thereafter. “That’s
This makes the NC, BJP and the Con- why I ended the matter. Some will hurl
gress only parties with a credible shot elections, National abuses but I am convinced that I had
at government formation. Here again Conference and done a good deed.”
the BJP is the odd one out. For, neither Post-election scenarios can thus
the NC nor the Congress will ally with it. the PDP, the major throw up interesting scenarios. In the
This can create a problematic situation regional political absence of a BJP government at the
for the state in case the BJP repeats 2014 centre, the party is unlikely to find allies
poll performance in Jammu: the party forces, have made it in the state. So, any government can be
had won 25 of 37 seats in the Hindu clear that they formed between secular-minded par-
majority province. And the PDP had ties like National Conference and Con-
emerged as the single largest party in won’t enter into any gress and in case of a shortfall of seats,
the state with 28 seats, making its coa- the duo can take support from smaller
lition with the BJP a structural neces- prepoll or post-poll parties and possible independents.
sity. But in power, the coalition turned alliance with the Congress has been a part of the two
out largely to the detriment of the PDP. successive coalition governments —
And 2016 unrest which led to the kill- saffron party first with the PDP and the second with
ing of around 100 persons and blinding the NC — from 2002 to 2014. Both coali-
of several hundred further discredited tions lasted their terms unlike the BJP-
the PDP. in law of Abdullah. PDP government which continued for
The BJP itself hasn’t helped the mat- Similarly, the BJP is alleged to have half the term only.
ters by turning out to be an unreliable attempted to similarly break the PDP “In a sense, the BJP hasn’t helped
partner. In June last, the party unilat- in 2016 when Mehbooba refused to matters for itself by not letting the coa-
erally pulled out support to the then renew alliance with the party following lition with the PDP function smoothly,”
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti leading the death of her father, the then Chief says Geelani. “At the same time, it is
to the fall of the government. “The BJP Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. also true, the J&K is not important for
has thus burnt its boats with the major The PDP, in a recent statement, said that the BJP in terms of the government
regional parties,” says Gowhar Geelani, its senior leader Altaf Bukhari had tried formation. The state is important for
the political commentator. “The alli- to usurp the chief ministership by seek- the party to mobilize electorate in the
ance with the BJP is too costly a political ing to break the PDP up on the urging rest of India. So, the party would rather
gamble to be worth a repeat”. of the RSS. be seen as hardline on the state than
The probable loss of the government The BJP is also alleged to have tried worry about forming a stable state
by the BJP at the Centre could make to install the PC leader Sajad Lone as government”.
things more difficult. “Only a BJP-led the Chief Minister by getting him the
central government can turn things required number of seats by breaking letters@tehelka.com

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