The first phase of Assembly polls went along expected lines. Unlike in the past, people voted spontaneously and in large numbers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his X post urged voters to exercise their franchise “and strengthen the festival of democracy.” He particularly called upon young and first-time voters to cast their vote and the youth in J&K seem to have responded to his call. In recent years, people in Jammu and Kashmir have eagerly waited for the restoration of democracy. They have looked forward to the assumption of power by an elected government, giving them both a sense of involvement in decision making and also enabling them to hold the rulers accountable, something that is not possible under a bureaucratic rule. But a better and a representative elected government can only be formed if people participate in the election in large numbers. And this time around people are ensuring that the newly elected members are truly representative of their electorate.
Another reason for large participation is the absence of boycott call from the separatist groups. This marks a significant departure from the norm established since the beginning of the separatist struggle in 1989. Since the early nineties, separatists have championed the boycott of elections, although this trend has seen diminishing returns over the years. The urban areas have still witnessed significant boycotts but the rural areas have generally experienced higher voter turnout.
One more factor driving people’s involvement in the election is that the ongoing exercise has been the most interesting in years. 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. 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. This is likely to further boost polling in the next two phases and this is a welcome departure from the past.
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