Page 36 - 30APR2019E

CoverStory

Congress-NC tie-up makes the

going tougher for BJP in J&K

The ongoing general elections are seen as a warm-up exercise for the possible Assembly
polls which are expected to follow shortly after and considered more important by the
political parities in the state, writes riyaz wani

mid the ongoing Lok Sabha constituency in Kashmir Valley where ever, in case of the Congress, even if a
elections, the political at- she will be up against the NC’s Hasnain few of the state’s Parliamentary seats
mosphere in J&K is heat- Masoodi, a retired justice of the J&K are won either by the NC or the PDP,
ing up. The parties are High Court. they are likely to support Congress in
A busy stitching up pre-poll In J&K, the upcoming Lok Sabha Lok Sabha.
alliance to strengthen their electoral poll is seen as a warm-up exercise for For Kashmir-based political parties
chances and a new party J&K People’s the possible Assembly polls which are and also for a majority of the people, the
Movement launched by the former IAS expected to follow shortly after. Six par- ensuing general elections are of criti-
officer Shah Faesal has added a new liamentary seats give J&K little political cal importance. There is now a strong
factor to the charged situation - albeit weight at the national level in matters undercurrent for a non-BJP govern-
Faesal has decided against contesting ment at the centre which is hoped to
the Parliament election. revise the BJP government’s militaris-
On March 20 Congress and National tic policy towards the state. The past
Conference decided to come together Although the PDP five years have seen the situation in the
by entering into a seat-sharing pact in Valley go from bad to worse.
J&K’s six Lok Sabha seats. According to is not a part of the The central government under
the arrangement, Congress will field alliance, the party has the BJP has abandoned the political
candidates in two parliamentary seats engagement in favour of a muscular
of Jammu. Dr Farooq Abdullah will also decided not to policy that believes in killing the way
contest from Srinagar parliamentary field candidates from to peace in the state. The policy also
seat in Kashmir Valley. Interestingly, abandoned the earlier efforts towards
the parties will have “friendly contests” the two parliament political resolution of the problem in
in three places — Baramulla, Anantnag seats of Jammu in an Kashmir and aggressively pursued the
and Ladakh constituencies of Kash- assimilation and integration of the state
mir. This has been done to prevent the obvious attempt not into India. This has involved attempts to
secular vote from splitting which would to allow the division remove the legal safeguards guaran-
have been to the advantage of the BJP. teed to the state by the Constitution of
Although the PDP is not a part of the of the vote in favour India.
alliance, the party has also decided not The BJP is also perceived to be be-
to field candidates from the two par- of the BJP hind the delay in the Assembly polls
liament seats of Jammu in an obvious in the state which a near-unanimous
attempt not to allow the division of the of government formation at the centre. political and public opinion wanted to
vote in favour of the BJP. So, parties are more focussed on the be held together with the Parliament
“The opposition front is not func- Assembly elections which are fiercely polls. This delay is seen as deliberate
tioning as it should have but we have fought by them - albeit, boycotted by a as it has put the J&K under the central
taken a unilateral decision to not field significant section of the people in the rule leaving New Delhi free to deal
candidates from these seats so that the state. with Kashmir as it chooses. And should
secular vote does not get divided,” PDP But winning parliamentary seats in the BJP return to power at the centre,
president Mehbooba Mufti said. the state will be important for the Con- the people see little chance of an early
Mehbooba herself is contesting gress and the BJP. They will be a brief holding of the Assembly election.
from the Anantnag parliamentary addition to their national tally. How- So, the Valley looks forward with

Tehelka / 30 april 2019 36 www.Tehelka.com