Page 60 - 15JUNE2019E

Kashmir after

Lok Sabha polls

support base in Kashmir Valley and in
parts of Jammu, the BJP is banking on
The history looks set to repeat itself. The NC and the BJP are two a consolidation of Hindu vote plus a
play of some incidental political fac-
major players on the scene, reports RIYAZ WANI tors to its favour - one of them be-

s the BJP and its allies vir-
tually swept through the NC versus BJP
country, it didn’t fall be-
hind in J&K too, India’s The poll outcome has split J&K
Aonly Muslim majority between the BJP and the NC, setting
state. The party secured three of the stage for a tough contest between
six seats in the state, repeating its them in the Assembly election which
2014 performance, its best in the state. is likely to be held later this year. The
What is more, the party’s vote scenario thus appears a repeat of the
share enhanced to 46.4 per cent from run up to 2014 polls which too had
34.40 in 2014. The percentage showed split J&K between two parties - that
that the BJP led in 27 out of 41 assem- time it was the BJP and the PDP. The
bly seats in these three parliamentary two parties went on to rule J&K in a
constituencies. coalition for close to three and a half
BJP leader and Union Minister Ji- years when the BJP suddenly with-
tendra Singh won by 3.57 lakh votes drew support to the then Chief Minis-
defeating Congress’ Vikramaditya ter Mehbooba Mufti and the govern-
Singh, the son of Jammu and Kash- ment fell.
mir’s last prince Karan Singh. The history looks set to repeat it-
Congress party itself, already re- self. The NC and the BJP are two ma-
duced to a marginal player in the jor players on the scene. But while
state lost from all the five seats it the NC’s bid is backed by its growing
contested, polling just 1,011,527 votes
which made a 28.5 per cent share of Congress party itself,
total votes polled.
The National Conference bagged already reduced to
all the three seats in the Valley, a marginal player in
where polls were largely boycotted
by the people on the appeal from the state lost from
the sepatatist political and militant all the five seats it
groups . The NC was contesting only
three seats from the Valley having contested, polling just
left other three for its alliance part-
ner Congress which couldn’t convert 1,011,527 votes which
it into victory. made a 28.5 per cent
The BJP fell short in Kashmir Val-
ley, though, managing to get only share of total votes
2.96 per cent of votes which is slight- polled.
ly higher than 1.33 per cent as com-
pared to the 2014 polls.

TEHELKA / 15 JUNE 2019 59 WWW.TEHELKA.COM