THE VALLEY OF HOPE

A high-stakes contest not just for the BJP and established regional parties, but also for the people

- TARIQ BHAT

What makes the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir different from previous ones is the altered constitutional framework. The reorganisation post the scrapping of Article 370 brought Jammu and Kashmir under the full purview of the Constitution. Thus, the new government will have to operate without the autonomy that the laws once provided.

Established regional parties like the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) have been grappling with this new reality. To stay relevant, their focus is now on the demand for the restoration of statehood and the need to address issues related to employment, land ownership, inflation, high tariffs and a deep sense of disempowerment among voters.

Imran Nabi Dar, the NC’s chief spokesperson, referred to the upcoming polls as an “alien election”. “This election is being held after Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by bureaucrats for 10 years,” he said. “It surpasses the six-year Central rule in the 1990s, after which elections were held in 1996.”

As the polls draw near, a high-stakes battle is shaping up between the NC and the PDP on one side and the BJP on the other. The BJP must prove that the voiding of Article 370 has restored normalcy and set Jammu and Kashmir on a development path. For the Congress, which aligns with the regional parties, the polls are an opportunity to reassert its role in the region, particularly in Jammu. The task of challenging the BJP, however, largely rests on the NC. With a strong organisational structure, the NC has managed to navigate the choppy political waters after the voiding of Article 370. In contrast, the PDP, which emerged as a formidable force after its 2002 assembly polls victory, has had significant setbacks. Several of its leaders and workers are now with the Apni Party, founded by former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari in March 2020.