Some people were optimistic that NC and PDP have begun understanding the significance of a broad based alliance between all regional political forces, when both the main parties announced forming a coalition last year to keep BJP and others away from power. But when Governor dissolved the assembly within hours and none of the two parties resisted except firing tweets, the hopes were dashed to ground, and within days both parties started attacking each other.
Being the main forces in electoral politics NC and PDP should not expect that people will leave their utterances, arrogances and mistakes unnoticed.
However the irony is that both Omer Sahab and Mehbooba Mufti, rather than introspecting into their performances and huge mistakes, leave no stone unturned to cry victim. During last fifteen days Omer Abdullah has at least twice accused smaller parties of dividing votes, thus opposing and questioning the basic purpose of democracy, which is believed to be battle of ideas.
Does Omer Sahab want monopoly of just two parties and others should not be allowed to propagate their views even if they are much better, close to aspirations of masses and also workable than those of NC and PDP. More important, Omer Sahab should answer why his party was reduced to fifteen seats from sixty seats in the state assembly.
The fact is that in any democratic state if any political force doesn’t deliver, others occupy the space. Had NC delivered even 50% of what it had promised, especially when party contested 1996 elections, perhaps PDP would not have been able to get birth. And had PDP later on delivered, the smaller forces would have been no threat to PDP.
Anyway both NC and PDP need to answer that rather attackingindividuals and smaller parties what and who stops them from forming the muchtalked grand alliance against BJP and its allies. How can NC justify its loveaffair with congress when congress is responsible for most of the miseriesstate has suffered since 1947.
If NC can join hands with Late Vajpayee’s NDA and congress from time to time, why not with PDP. Similarly PDP should not hesitate for a second to offer alliance with NC as the party has formed alliance with BJP.
Now when both PDP and NC are targeting BJP and give congress the benefit of being so called secular party, why don’t NC and PDP join hands to get an absolute and even two third majority. It is a question that every citizen of the state and political analyst should seek an answer from them. The short answer which people often give to the question that why cannot NC and PDP form alliance is that New Delhi will never allow them to do so.
However it is a silly answer as both parties claim to behaving indigenous ideologies and it is not Delhi but people of J&K who votethem to assembly and parliament. It may look absolutely stupid and strange butthe reality is that neither NC nor PDP want an absolute majority in theassembly, as it will make them accountable and they will have to deliver thepromises they made with their people during and after elections.
The fact is both Omer Abdulah and Mehbooba Mufti do want a fractured mandate so that they can enjoy power, deliver nothing, keep Delhi happy but still accuse and abuse people for not giving them a full-fledged mandate.
Both of them know that if they get majority through coalition or on their own, they will have to revoke ban on Jamat-I-Islami, get back power projects, remove PSA and AFSPA, make certain historic amendments in the state constitution, amend many anti people laws, release political prisoners, stop New Delhi from its utterances, give good and corruption free governance, avoid nepotism and restore the dignity of people of state, but to achieve that they have to take New Delhi head on, and they don’t want to do that.
It is for the people of J&K to ask these important questions to both these parties so that neither NC nor PDP can fool masses so easily. Silence of masses will make people partners in their crime.