Jammu and Kashmir is set to undergo polling from 18th September, in the first assembly elections after the abrogation of Article 370 and revocation of the “special status”. Jammu and Kashmir will have assembly elections on 18th September, 25th September, and 1st October. The poll results will be released on the 8th of October. Notably, the BJP won 25 seats in the last assembly elections in 2014, and this time around, it faces the challenge of a stronger opposition as the Congress party has allied with the National Conference.
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly constituencies
Notably, Jammu and Kashmir now has 90 assembly constituencies. The BJP intends to contest the election separately in the polls, while the National Conference (NC) and the Congress have formed an alliance. As per the agreement reached between the parties, NC will compete for 51 seats, Congress will compete for 32 seats, and there will be “friendly contests” in five constituencies. In addition, the CPI(M) in South Kashmir and the Panthers Party in Jammu division have each been allotted one seat.
BJP vs all in J&K
On Sunday, the Bhartiya Janata Party released the list of its 10 candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. The party has fielded RS Pathania from Udhampur East and Naseer Ahmad Lone from Bandipora.
BJP has again fielded Ravinder Raina from the crucial Nowshera seat. Raina is seeking a re-election from this seat against National Conference candidate Surinder Choudhary and those of the PDP and the BSP.
The Nowshera constituency is one of 11 assembly segments in the Jammu region’s Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi districts that will vote in the second phase on the 25th of September together with 15 seats in the central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Budgam. From these 26 constituencies, 239 candidates remain in the running for the final election. Jammu has 79 candidates in the second phase, including 28 independents, two ex-ministers, a former judge, and two woman candidates. In addition, relatives will compete for two seats, as will several turncoats, including two former ministers, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali and Syed Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari.
Meanwhile, BJP has fielded Faqir Mohammad Khan from the Gurez Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved seat, Abdul Rasheed Khan from Sonawari and Ghulam Mohammad Mir from Handwara. From the Scheduled Caste (SC) reserved seats, BJP has fielded Bharat Bhushan from Kathua, Rajeev Bhagat from Bishnah and Surinder Bhagat from Marh. Other than this, Vikram Randhawa is contesting from the Bahu seat on a BJP ticket.
In its manifesto, the BJP had made 25 promises to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. These promises include: “Make Jammu and Kashmir a leader in development and progress in the nation by wiping out terrorism and separatism. Provide Rs 18,000 per year to the senior most woman in every household through ‘Maa Samman Yojana’. Providing assistance through the state government for Women SHGs on the issue of interest on bank loans. Providing 2 free LPG cylinders every year to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana beneficiaries. Create 5 lakh employment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir through Pandit Prem Nath Dogra Rozgar Yojana (PPNDRY). Rs 3000 yearly through DBT as travel allowance to college students under the ‘Pragati Shiksha Yojana.’
BJP has also promised to restore 100 ruined temples and renovate the existing ones. The party has also resolved to “undertake a concerted drive to address illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi settlements in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Addressing the much-needed demand for resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits, the BJP announced that if voted to power, it will “ensure the safe return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandit community, we will launch the Tika Lal Taploo Visthapit Samaj Punarvas Yojana (TLTVSPY).”
The party will also “expedite the rehabilitation of West Pakistan refugees, POJK refugees and internally neglected communities like Valmiki and Gorkhas.”
National Conference seeks Article 370 reinstatement, resumption of dialogue with Pakistan
The National Conference has fielded Retd. Justice Hussnain Masoodi from Pampore, Mohammad Khalil Bandh from Pulwama, Sheikh Mohammad Rafi from Shopian, Abdul Majeed Larmi from Anantnag West, Reyaz Ahmad Khan from Anantnag East, Altaf Ahmad Kaloo from Pahalgam.
As approved by Party President Dr Farooq Abdullah the following persons are nominated as contesting candidates from Jammu and Kashmir National Conference against the Assembly constituencies shown against each below:
— JKNC (@JKNC_) August 26, 2024
•01. Retd. Justice Hussnain Masoodi – Pampore
•02. Mohammad…
Interestingly, in an interview, NC leader Omar Abdullah said that the alliance with Congress has not been forged due to seats, but over the perception that NC may be hand in gloves with the BJP since an. Enforcement Directorate case against his father Farooq Abdullah was struck down by the court. “Allying with Congress became almost vital for us in light of a recent high court order that struck down an Enforcement Directorate’s case against my father (Farooq Abdullah). Some of our political opponents went to town calling it evidence of an underhand deal between the BJP and NC. To convince the people that we are not hand in glove with the BJP and will go all out to defeat the party, an alliance with Congress became very important for us,” Omar Abdullah said.
Notably, while the removal of Article 370 has ushered Jammu and Kashmir into an unprecedented era of development, skyrocketing tourism and increased security, the National Conference has mentioned in its manifesto seeking restoration of Article 370. Moreover, while the BJP-led Central government has adopted a policy of no talks with Pakistan until it stops state-sponsored terrorism against India, NC has advocated for resuming dialogue with the hostile neighbour.
Congress and NC to have ‘friendly contest’ on a few seats
On Monday, the Congress party released its third list of 19 candidates. The party has fielded state working president Raman Bhalla from RS Pura-Jammu South, Chaudhary Lal Singh from Basohli, and ex-NSUI chief Neeraj Kundan from the Bishnah (SC) seat. Even as NC and Congress have formed an alliance, the two parties will have a ‘friendly contest’ on some seats.
#JammuandKashmirPolls2024 | Congress releases its third list of candidates for the upcoming J&K Assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/C4lKWP6n5l
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2024
Congress fielded Irshad Ab Gani from Langate, Haji Abdul Rashid Dar from Sopore, Irfan Hafeez Lone from Wagoora-Kreeri, Mool Raj from Ramnagar (SC) Kajal Rajput from Bani, Summit Mangotra from Udhampur West and Manohar Lal Sharma from Billawa. In addition, Congress has fielded Thakur Balbir Singh from Jasrota, Rakesh Choudhary Jatt from Hiranagar, Yashpal Kundal from Ramgarh (SC), Krishan Dev Singh from Samba, TS Tony from Bahu, Yogesh Sawhney Balbir Singh from Nagrota, Thakur Manmohan Singh from Jammu West and Mula Ram from Marh (SC).
Congress and NC: Not so ‘friendly’ on the ground
While the Congress party and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference have forged an alliance to defeat their bête noire BJP, all is not so well between them. On Sunday (9th September), Congress candidate from Banihal, Vikar Rasool Wani took a swipe at alliance leader Omar Abdullah and said that NC has sucked the blood of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly that of the people of Banihal. “Why the colour of the party flag is red,” Wani said adding that the NC leadership over the years failed to do any development in the region. He further claimed that whatever development occurred in Banihal was when he was the MLA.
Even as Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Tariq Hamid Karra tried to do damage control, Wani doubled down and said: “Omar Abdullah is telling people in my constituency to defeat me. How can he defeat me when people are with me? He is himself begging in his constituency to voters with folded hands and by removing his skullcap to vote for himself. How can he defeat me here.”
Expressing his displeasure over Wani’s comments, Omar Abdullah while addressing a public rally said: “Wani’s remarks are caustic, where he talks bad about our leadership, our party flag and even our party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. I was sitting beside him campaigning for the Congress MP candidate two months back. Either he was telling lies at that time or is speaking lies this time.”
Interestingly, Banihal is one of those few seats, which will witness a ‘friendly contest’ between NC and Congress. Reports say that Congress’s Vikar Rasool Wani is upset over two reasons. Firstly, his removal from the post of JKPCC President and second reason that NC fielded its own candidate from Banihal despite an alliance with Congress for a ‘friendly contest’. While Wani emphasised the 2014 results as the deciding criteria for fielding a candidate from Banihal, NC stressed on the perceived “better chances” of its candidate Sajjad Shaheen winning the seat.
Notably, Congress has resorted to fuelling hatred against the non-locals residing in Jammu and Kashmir for electoral gains. Recently, Rahul Gandhi addressed a poll rally in Banihal wherein he alleged that the Modi government has given all the benefits to the ‘outsiders’ insinuating that the non-Kashmiri Indians are outsiders in J&K. Rahul Gandhi’s cynical approach to garner votes is in line with the Islamist narrative that only Kashmiri Muslims are ‘insiders’ while the non-Muslims and Indians, in general, are ‘outsiders’. Unsurprisingly, divide and rule is the policy the British bequeathed to the Congress party before leaving India. Be it fomenting caste divides, linguistic divides, or playing the ‘insider’ vs ‘outsider’ card, Congress has mastered the art of divide and rule.
"जम्मू-कश्मीर के लोगों का पैसा छीन कर बाहरियों को दिया जा रहा है!" @RahulGandhi का यह बयान दर्शाता है कि उनकी राजनीति जाति और क्षेत्र के नाम पर भड़काने की ही है, सत्ता पाने के लिए वह किसी भी स्तर तक गिर सकते हैं! 👇#BharatTodoCongressJodo#Rahul_Gandhi pic.twitter.com/9DYIH5mnFC
— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) September 4, 2024
PDP goes solo after finding no allies
The Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also fielded its candidates on some crucial seats so far. The party has fielded Sudesh Kumar from Kathua, Ganesh Dutt Sharma from Jasrota, and Vicky Kumar Dogra from Bishna. Mohd. Vasheem from Chenani and Kewal Kumar Sharma from Udhampur West, Baqeel Singh, and Karan Singh fielded from Udhampur East, Suchetgar. Notably, before the abrogation of Article 370, Mehbooba Mufti led the state government with BJP’s support and the alliance eventually was called off, this time Mehbooba Mufti tried forging an alliance first with NC and then with Congress, however, the efforts seem to have been futile. Although the PDP is now strongly opposed to the BJP, it has failed to join forces with anti-BJP parties like NC and Congress.
Speaking about the NC-Congress alliance Mehbooba Mufti called NC rule as that of “Tanashahi” [dictatorship] and said: ‘“NC couldn’t do that much work in a very long time, the work PDP has done in a comparatively small tenure, especially the South Kashmir. If there is a value for vote in J&K, then it is because PDP is there to contest against NC.”
Amidst the political war of words and games, Rashid Engineer, who has been in jail over involvement in a terror funding case has been granted interim bail. The terror funding accused and leader of Awami Ittihad Party. Notably, the National Investigation Agency had opposed the regular bail plea of Rashid Engineer in the UAPA case and stated that Rashid Engineer, as a Member of Parliament, may misuse his position to influence witnesses and obstruct justice if granted bail.
With the Jammu and Kashmir elections taking a BJP vs all direction, it will be interesting to see if the BJP manages to brave the NC-Congress alliance and win the polls or if the people of the state will give the anti-BJP parties an upper hand.
