Jammu, Dec 29: Regional issues and urban-rural
divide ruled the roost in the Jammu and Kashmir elections
which saw the emergence of the National Conference and the
BJP.
While the saffron party showcased its strength by riding
on Amarnath land row and regional discrimination card to win
highest-ever 11 seats in Jammu and NC swept 13 out 15 seats in
central Kashmir in view of the divide between urban and rural
voters.
"J&K has been affected by divisive politics. Voter
turnout for the parties have showcased BJP as the face of
regional discontent based on Amarnath row and PDP and NC as
parties of origins in south Kashmir and central Kashmir," a
political observer, H N Dhar said, adding "this is very bad
for the state."
BJP, which had won just one seat in 2002 in Nagrota in
Jammu district and stood runner-up at five places, beat all
previous records by winning 11 seats and stood runner up at 13
seats.
Amarnath land row and regional discrimination slogan of
the BJP paid dividends for the BJP not only in Jammu and
Kathua but also in far-flung areas of Inderwal, Bhaderwah,
Ramban, Chenani and Udhampur segments as well.
"It is historic victory for BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. It
is faith of people of the Jammu region in this party," state
BJP chief Ashok Khajuria said.
In 1996, the party had won eight seats in Jammu east,
Gandhinagar, Jammu west, Suchetgarh, (Jammu district),
Hiranagar (Kathua), Udhampur and Chenani (Udhampur) and Ramban
(Doda).
BJP, which had fielded 53 candidates, had polled 12.13
votes in 1996. This time the party had fielded 64 candidates.
BJP -- then Bhartiya Jan Sangh (BJS) had won three seats
each in 1967 (29 candidates) and 1972 polls (32 candidates)
followed by two in 1987 polls (29 candidates), while no seat
was bagged by them in 1977 (five candidates) and 1983 polls
(27 candidates).
NC had only eight seats in 2002 out of 15 while 4 were
bagged by PDP and three by Independents in 2002 elections.
While asking "the elements" who raked up the Amarnath
issue and "misrepresented the government's decision before the
people" to have a re-think over their role after the election
results, Tiwari refused to answer whether PDP was among those
elements.
"Scratching old wounds won't help," he said. Tiwari also
evaded a direct reply to the question whether the Amarnath
issue will factor when Congress decides an alliance.
A senior party leader pleading anonymity, however, said,
"There are certain elements who broke their rank and file from
the separatists and joined the mainstream. Congress is
thinking whether handing over the entire opposition space to
hardline separatism in Kashmir and hardline communalism in
Jammu would be wise."
"While PDP manifesto talked of Self Rule plus, NC's
harped on autonomy plus. We have to see both -- off the table
and on the table programmes -- of parties before stitching up
any alliance," said the party leader.
To a question, whether Congress could go for finalising a
Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for the would be alliance, the
leader replied in the affirmative.
Explaining the delay in announcing the alliance, the
party leader said, "It's not a single case of arithmetic,
otherwise the alliance would have been announced the next day
after the results were out."
Tiwari, however, said "the priority of Congress is to
give a stable government" and added that the party would
honour the mandate.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, December 29, 2008, 00:00