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seized with a mortal fear of the BJP go-
ing ahead with implementing its ideo-
logical agenda on the state.
Though,J&K has always been an is-
sue in India’s national polls, this time
it acquired a resonance unlike any-
time in the past. With the BJP making
national security its central poll plank
following the Pulwama attack which
killed 40 CRPF personnel and triggered
skirmishes with Pakistan, the issues re-
lated to J&K moved to the centre-stage.
The ruling party aggressively brought
up the situation in the state to drum up
public support. From the prime minis-
ter Narendra Modi on down to home
minister Rajnath Singh, finance min-
ister Arun Jaitley to Shah himself, the
BJP was unrelenting on Kashmir in its
campaign rhetoric.
Not only that, unlike the Congress
and the other opposition parties, the
BJP’s top leaders comprising PM Modi,
Singh and Shah - the party’s veritable
triumvirate - also visited J&K to deliver
election speeches.
Also in its manifesto, the BJP reiter-
ated its hard-line ideological position
on the state. It has renewed its pledge
to revoke Article 370 and 35A of the
Constitution to play to its wider na-
Jitendra Singh tionalist constituency. In Kashmir, the
moves to withdraw these constitution-
al safeguards is seen as a bid to pave the
Political pundits in the Valley way for a demographic change in the
blame the boycott for distorting the Political pundits in state.
election outcome in the Valley. And the Valley blame Should the BJP choose to initiate
they are right. In the recent Panchay- these extraordinary steps, it will throw
at elections, the BJP won a number of the boycott for the state into turmoil. There’s every
wards in South Kashmir, the Valley’s distorting the possibility of the eruption of yet an-
separatist hub. other mass unrest which could lead
This doesn’t augur well for the Val- election outcome to more killings. However, it seems
ley-focussed mainstream parties. Just in the Valley. And unlikely that the BJP would rush into
in case the boycott turned out to be as these far-reaching constitutional
sweeping as it did in Panchayat and they are right. In the changes before the Assembly polls
Parliament polls, the BJP could even recent Panchayat which it would like to use to further
open its score in the Valley in Assem- strengthen its position in J&K Assem-
bly polls. In that case, the BJP could elections, the bly. This would only legitimize the cen-
even turn out to be a majority partner tral government’s constitutional inter-
in the likely new coalition govern- BJP won a number vention in the state.
So, the coming months are likely to
ment in the state. of wards in South be full of dramatic developments in
Before Assembly polls Kashmir, the J&K. Much will depend on how and to
what extent the BJP chooses to imple-
However, before the Assembly Valley’s separatist ment its agenda on the state.
elections get underway, Kashmir is hub. LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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