Vote Sensibly

With every passing day, the electoral scene is getting more interesting. As against the earlier domination of the two political entities like the National Conference and the PDP, the scene has become suddenly overcrowded, with more political parties and the independent candidates  throwing their hats in the ring. This has created confusion in the public mind with by and large, similar manifestos, identical rhetoric, and same slogans doing the rounds. The general opinion is that Jammu and Kashmir will have a hung assembly with no party being in a position to form the government on its own. That is, apart from the BJP which sees a consolidation in its favour in a less politically crowded Jammu division. That is, if a rejuvenated Congress under Rahul Gandhi is unable to make deeper inroads to upset its calculations. Should the Congress fare well in Jammu, it could splinter the mandate across the union territory, with the new government composed of multiple parties. And it would be a lame duck government from the word go, with none of them in a position to run a stable government. But the entire effort of the BJP is to prevent such a turn of events and ensure a decent number of seats for it in Jammu and then form a government with support of smaller parties or independents from the Valley. This could also fulfill the party’s dream of having the first BJP chief minister in J&K. As things stand, this appears an eminently realizable goal. 

The entry of just-released Engineer Rashid has both livened up the electoral scene and also made the outcome further predictable. He is drawing good crowds all across the Valley, although still short of expectations. In South Kashmir, which is not his constituency, the crowds rooted for him wherever he went. It is still not certain whether he will win seats across the Valley, but he is certain to create a major disruption. His presence has already strained the grip of the established parties like the NC, PDP and the Congress, as well as the smaller parties like the People’s Conference. The alliance between Rashid and the Jamaat-e Islami is expected to further queer the pitch for the NC and the PDP.  The situation is expected to take more turns going forward. The anticipated division and sub-division of votes will profoundly impact the Valley’s representation in the Assembly.  Whether to its advantage or detriment, only time will tell. This is why it is incumbent on people to exercise their franchise very sensibly this time. 

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