In a statement that would have been well received in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised restoration in his first election rally in Srinagar during the ongoing Assembly election. Addressing the rally, the PM made the commitment on statehood to a rousing applause from the audience. However, the PM again stayed short of specifying any timeline for the return of statehood. He once again lashed out at the alliance between Congress and the NC, saying this would have made Pakistan happy. The PM warned that a vote for the Congress would lead to the reinstatement of Article 370, which he said would pave the way for violence to return to the Valley. He made the statement despite the well-known fact that a predominant majority of people in the erstwhile state are upset over the withdrawal of Article 370 that granted Jammu and Kashmir an autonomous status and removed inherited protections on land and jobs.
Earlier in his election rally in Doda, the PM highlighted the transformation in Jammu and Kashmir over the last decade in terms of the overall improvement in the security situation and the development brought about during this period. He based his appeal for votes for the BJP candidates on this accomplishment. He also peddled the now BJP’s go-to election plank about the alleged mess in the union territory created by three dynasties – Abdullahs, Muftis, and Gandhis.
The BJP faces a difficult task of selling a political narrative on Jammu and Kashmir that is contrary to aspirations of a large majority of people. People here want restoration of Article 370 and the attendant rights. They also want an empowered Assembly unlike what is on offer and more importantly the restoration of statehood. But none of these is being offered by the BJP. As for the statehood, the promise is undone by the lack of a timeline.
However, the BJP’s core constituency in Jammu and Kashmir is not the Kashmir Valley but the Jammu division. In 2014, the party had by and large swept the division, securing 25 out of the 37 seats. But the electoral scene for the party is not as conducive as it was in 2014 when the Modi wave was at its peak. The ground looks a bit shaky now. However, the saffron party hopes to better its tally than the 25 seats it garnered in 2014, enabling it to form a government with support from a Kashmir-origin party or independents. As for support for the BJP in Kashmir, the PM’s rally was impressively attended. But the statehood promise that he made in his speech makes the event relevant to every inhabitant of J&K. One can only hope that the BJP government fulfills the commitment sooner than later.
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