All roads lead to whom?

After a long and arduous election, with months ofcampaigning and voting spread over phases, Valley’s voters have spoken. And, inone voice. While the nation has again handed another historic mandate toNarendra Modi. BJP’s triumph isn’t merely a product of political management buta rhetorical and ideological battle, a culture war, which they have won. Frombreaching Mamta’s invincible fort, crushing the grand alliance, the saffronstorm has a tamed Kejriwal offering to work with Modi. In all this for Kashmir,Modi’s resurgence is becoming a reality to reckon with.  In 2014, BJP’s presence in Valley and latertheir alliance with the PDP, has entailed PDP a huge cost of losing its voterbase and identity of being a viable political alternative. The anxious populaceupset with a string of lynchings had sowed fear and despair in the Muslims ofKashmir. The problem later compounded by a lack of a strong and independentmandate in Valley. Today after National Conference’s sweeping victory in theKashmir region, the political script remains to be same. The fears of politicalsurrender and the challenge of according a sense of belongingness to Jammu havegrown deeper. For the future course, the eyes are not set on Modi but at the NationalConference.

The question staring us in the face is whether NC will allywith the BJP in case of a fractured mandate, the same mistake that PDPcommitted. With the State facing an overdue Constitutional obligation ofholding Assembly elections, regions of Jammu and Ladakh are firm, decisive andcategorical in their political choice, therefore, Valley’s premier politicalparty will have a bold decision to make. It is known that the dynamics of theParliament and the Assembly elections in Valley have variance. The elections inAssembly are fought for local issues and about the overall candidacy profile.Therefore a higher voter turn out is expected but the probability of thelargest emerging political party falling short of numbers remains.

   

The upsurge of National Conference driven by the confidentfather-son duo is commendable but given the National Conference’s history ofpolitical bargains and understandings, the political road ahead doesn’t seemsmooth. Immediately after the declaration of results both BJP and the NationalConference have worrying indicators for us. Where in top BJP leadership havereiterated their stand for revocation of state’s special status, abrogatingArticle 370 and 35 A. Seasoned politician and National Conference Chief has admittedthat protecting J&K’s special status will be a tough challenge in the newParliament dominated by the BJP. The National Conference’s factual admission sosoon after winning all the three parliamentary seats in Kashmir valley isunsettling and questionable. The NC had fought the elections on the plank ofdefending J&K’s special status, a status that is under attack from theNarendra Modi-led NDA government. Sustaining the united opposition Modi hasemerged as India’s choice backed with overwhelming support in our backyard inJammu and Ladakh. The majority is not always right and majoritarianism isdangerous for the nation in democracy governments are based on the numbers andcertainly, none of the political party in Kashmir region seem to attain thatnumber to form people’s government if the Parliament trends match up in theAssembly.

Tail Piece:  When theinsidious disguise adopted by our regional parties in the past has made thehope so bleak, will the National Conference rise above party interest to guardthe state by forging an alliance with its regional rivals even when there have beengrand alliance flops in the past or will it be a compulsive come back of theNorth pole and the South pole but with switched roles.

Samajhne hi nahi deti siyasat ham ko sachchai

Kabhi chehra nahi milta kabhi darpan nahi milta

 (The author is a practicingAdvocate in Srinagar)

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