MY POINT
Srinagar: During his campaigning in Hazratbal assembly constituency, JKNC candidate, Salman Sagar once said, “the more BJP and its top leadership attacks NC, the best we will perform in the ensuing polls as the whole battle is between extreme right and progressive voices.”
His words proved prophetic. NC almost swept Kashmir Valley and made its presence felt in Jammu region too. However, the coalition partners, INC and JKPP couldn’t do much, CPI(M) kept its record straight with the sole seat of Kulgam, it has been winning from 1996.
Most of the political Pandits are convinced that Valley people have once again proved their political acumen by ensuring that BJP is kept out of the government formation. Though given the UT status of J&K, the government, that be, may not be as powerful as earlier governments used to be, but it will be THE Government, they assert.
“Its word will carry weight, it will be seen the genuine representation of Kashmiri aspirations and Centre’s any assault against it, will be seen as a collective humiliation of entire Valley populace,” said a political scientist, who for obvious reasons, was not keen to disclose his identity.
Some neutral observers attribute NC’s overwhelming success to demolition of PDP.
“We may hate PDP for making BJP partners in power in J&K first time after 1947 but let us be rationale and understand what dilemma PDP was in 2014. Jammu division had voted for BJP and Kashmir for PDP. Keeping either of the two out, would have challenged the basic structure of then J&K State. Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took a decision, though unpopular, to keep these two units – Jammu and Kashmir united – for larger interest of the state. Life cheated him, had he been alive, things would have been different today,” said a teacher at Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), again on the conditions of anonymity.
Substantiating their argument, the observers said that even today, the would-be-chief minister is saying that while forming the government, his party will try to ensure that Jammu gets ample representation.
The teacher said that PDP had given a lease of life to BJP in Kashmir, had the party (BJP) leadership been bit intelligent, it would have never engineered split within PDP following August 05, 2019 decisions regarding J&K.
“Had PDP been in one piece, today BJP would have been the single largest party and either NC or PDP would have been forces to align with it to form the next government,” he said.
Commenting on LS polls in J&K, Arif Bashir, a young journalist and film maker said, “BJP mis-read the verdict. It got excited with Abdul Rashid Sheikh aka Er Rashid experiment. It failed to understand that in LS polls people voted for an incarcerated politician but in assembly election, he was there promoting his brother and other candidates in a bid to defeat all other nationalists. Result is obvious.”
Most of the observers say that BJP got it all wrong. Two post-2019 parties, Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party and G N Azad’s DPAP finished at ZERO in assembly elections and that should serve a message to BJP that “don’t undermine the intellect of people of J&K.”
Though BJP did well in Jammu region but not the way its central leadership would have expected. BJP’s face in Jammu, Ravinder Raina, technically one of the most acceptable faces in Kashmir region, couldn’t sail through and lost his Nowshera assembly segment. BJP will not admit, but it is BIG BLOW.
I as a political observer have always found some similarities between Er Rashid and Ravinder Raina. Rashid is Muslim version of Raina and Raina is Hindu version of Rashid. (Don’t sue me, pun intended)
G N Azad’s Saroori lost, Azad may not admit, it is a big blow!
Apni Party got demolished with its president Syed Altaf Bukhari, senior leaders, Ghulam Hassam Mir, Dilawar Mir’s Son, Ashraf Mir and Rafi Mir losing – a big blow!
Attempt to engineer the mandate by so called Er Rashid failed. His brother narrowly managed to win Langate in Kupwara district and rest is history – another sad commentary.
In LS polls ENGINEERED Rashid experiment cost Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone almost equally but in assembly elections, it cost Sajad Lone dearly and also to Nasir Aslam Wani. Both parties have to do some soul searching where they played in the hands of the ENGINEERING. However, with all tirade against Sajad Lone in Kupwara district, he managed to secure at least Handwara – bravo!
Jamaat-e-Islami experiment punctured and even Afzal Guroo’s brother facing a humiliating defeat in Sopore, another sad commentary.
Jamaat did everything to defeat M Y Tarigami in Kulgam, however, the LEFT stood right a rock against both RIGHTS (MUSLIM AND HINDU) and sailed through.
Sarjan Barkati got some respectable votes in Beerwah constituency but lost its address in Ganderbal.
Er Rashid’s “freedom yatra” proved a disaster for him. Had he over-estimated himself?
Elections were peaceful, free and fair, no hanky-panky reported from anywhere, Election Commission of India, civil administration, Police and security forces did a great job. Kudos!
Earlier elections were tales of blood and gory. This time people had no pressures, no threats, no inhibitions, THANK YOU UT ADMINISTRATION.
NC knew they are making it. PDP knew they were on receiving end BJP knew that they in Kashmir Valley are on receiving end.
“In Pir Panjal region BJP has to cut a sorry figure. Though in Chinab Valley they did ok, given NC-Cong mismanagement, they did some good overall,” say sources, who insist, NC has some “tie-up with BJP in Chinab Valley.”
All wonder guesses, but people should ask questions and the political parties should respond, that is how it is in democracies. Isn’t it?
Khalid Suhrawardy and Mehboob Iqbal losing in Doda and Bhaderwah, something has gone really bad about it, NC has to explain, says a local shopkeeper Amjad.
Friendly contests between NC and INC were actually a mandate to BJP in Jammu region.
“In Kashmir region, these friendly contests were understandable, in Jammu region these were “BJP-specific”, say even hardcore NC supporters.
Game is over. Results are out. So, these guesses and accusations would be there for times to come. Fact of the matter is, NC is the largest party, the only one to claim to form the government. BINGO!
