The recent move by the government to appoint a nodal officer for the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Elections -2023 is seen by some quarters as a first step towards de-freezing the otherwise frozen electoral front in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the move could not evoke a major response from the major political parties, who have been demanding immediate assembly elections.
But, it is obvious that once the process for ULB polls gains momentum, the parties will also accelarate the pace of their election related activities. These parties have already made it clear that by taking part in all elections from now onwards they would try to deny the space or cakewalk to the rival parties.
National Conference and PDP had not contested the ULB polls and panchayat elections last time but have made their decision regarding contesting the future polls clear.
The participation of Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party ( DPAP) will be a new addition to the elections. The parties have been demanding holding of the municipalities’ polls on party basis.
As per the government order the nodal officer has to also formally request the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to revise the poll rolls and carry out delimitation of wards in urban areas before announcing the schedule for the ULB polls. It is to be seen how much time this process will take and when finally the dates are announced and polls held.
Will the panchayat polls be held after local urban bodies’ elections is another question. For panchayat elections the revision of electoral rolls and delimitation of panchayats is also required.
The timing regarding holding of assembly polls continues to be a suspense for the political parties. It is not yet known whether the elections will be held this year or next year after the Lok Sabha polls.
Former chief minister and NC vice president Omar Abdullah recently said that if the ULB and Lok Sabha polls can be held in Jammu and Kashmir, why can not be the assembly elections.
He said the polls are not being held since BJP fears defeat. Omar added that ” the present uncrowned kings will not be having their political addresses here after the elections as their party will lose.” His comment evoked a strong reaction from BJP .
Party president for J&K Ravinder Raina said that BJP does not shy away from assembly polls and that they are very much prepared. He reiterated that his party will get the absolute majority and will be having its own chief minister. Raina urged the election commission of India to announce assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP leader added that the people have rejected the politics of Abdullah and Mufti families and that their days are politically over now.
On the other hand the leaders of some Kashmir based parties say that if the claim of BJP leaders that people have rejected NC, PDP and Congress is true then why is not it being proved by holding elections and why is there delay so much of delay.
They say BJP is claiming of having held panchayat and municipalities’ polls, but why the important assembly polls are being delayed and people deprived of their right to elect the government of their choice democratically.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti recently told media that assembly polls are very important for overall democratic set up. She stated that while delaying assembly polls, BJP takes credit for holding panchayat and ULB polls . “Surely, the ULB and panchayat polls are important but at the same time one cannot deny the significant importance of assembly polls. If assembly polls are not that important then why are those held in other states? Why not only ULB and panchayat polls are held there also? Why only J&K is being denied this right of assembly polls,” she asked.
The BJP leaders are of the view that by holding the polls for panchayat and municipalities their government has strengthened the democracy at the grassroots level. The common people got empowered with such elections and now they directly take part in the process of development and decision making.
According to the leaders, earlier only a few families were reaping the fruits of polls and would take turns in getting political power with the support of Congres. BJP leaders say that panchayat and ULB polls were not being held as the political families wanted to continue their monopoly, which has been broken now. ” We have taken the democracy to the doorsteps of common people,” says the BJP.
Believing that the NC and PDP leadership had become weak and lost popularity, some circles were expecting rise of young leadership, which does not support the policies of NC and PDP, in those pockets of Kashmir, where BJP cannot gain foothold.
They were also hoping the new leadership to oust the traditional parties in elections in Kashmir. But has the new young leadership been able to arrive on the political scene? Those advocating it say that such a development cannot happen overnight as the process takes the time. According to them, some faces may have emerged, while others are taking their time.
But there are others also who believe that parachute dropping of non- political persons in political arena is like asking a non- cricketing person to play as a batsman in a test cricket match and stay at the crease for long and that too on an unpredictable pitch.
Most such players get out easily and quickly on the political pitch. According to them staying long in the political field is a matter of patience and time and also of learning the skills of political nitty gritty and public dealing. Short cuts may be helpful for some time but not for long.
What strategy will the senior political players adopt when the Lok Sabha polls are held in April- May can be also of some interest for the political observers. It is to be seen who among them will contest and who not. Will Dr Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti like to join the electoral fray or not and if yes then from which constituency? They were MPs in past. Will the other parties’ leaders like Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Sajad Gani Lone and Muzaffar Hussain Beig also contest the Lok Sabha polls?
The delimitation exercise re-drew the boundaries of the Lok Sabha constituencies also and changed the scenario. Anantnag Lok sabha constituency has now Poonch district and parts of Rajouri district with it also. Those were earlier part of Jammu constituency.
Pulwama and parts of Shopian district have been cut from Anantnag constituency and joined with Srinagar constituency. Parts of Budgam district have been delinked from Srinagar constituency and linked with Baramulla constituency. Who gets an advantage and who disadvantage with the change in the boundaries of constituencies will become fully known at the election result time.
Author is senior editor, Greater Kashmir
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.