After the conclusion of the voting in the Assembly election, all eyes are now focussed on October 8 when the outcome is going to be declared. No one party is favourite is to win the election, although the NC and the BJP seem to have a distinct edge over others. More so, the BJP which operates in a less crowded electoral scene in Jammu division, with the Congress its only major competitor. This is perhaps why the state Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra on Wednesday extended an invitation to “like-minded” parties for government formation, saying they were open to taking support in case the need arises.
This election did not generate a wave in favour of any political party, including that for Engineer Rashid who was supposed to galvanize a mass mobilization soon after his release. It is true that in the Valley, the NC started as a stronger party in the fray. But the initial perception was dented by the intensifying electoral competition as the campaign progressed. The NC now seems to barely holds on to its initial edge in the campaign. For example, in South and Central Kashmir, where the PDP, Jamaat-i-Islami and even Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) crowded the electoral scene, making the outcome uncertain. The NC’s once strong opponent, the PDP, has also showed some spark in its core constituencies in south Kashmir and is expected to garner some seats. The new political outfits like the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) floated by the former top Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and the Apni Party led by the businessman turned politician Altaf Bukhari were also in the fray, but they seem to have not made much of a mark so far, more so the former.
Although Kashmir has witnessed many elections over the decades, this one is likely to go down as one the most interesting and fiercely contested. Not only were several political parties vying for votes but there were also many independents in the fray. This confused the voter, probably preventing the formation of a coherent public opinion. Whether the voter exercised his wisdom in casting his ballot will be shortly known.
On the other hand, it would be interesting to see how the BJP fares in Jammu division. Will the party replicate its 2014 performance now? It could very well do so. But the electoral scene for the party is not as conducive as it was in 2014 when the Modi wave was at its peak. But if the saffron party does cross 25 seats in the region, it is certain to be in a driving seat in the government formation. But for now we can only wait and watch and hope for an elected government that gives people a sense of stake in the system.
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