Elections or no elections | Political parties cannot afford losing the already gained tempo

Nearly on their toes throughout this year, the political parties cannot afford to lose the already  gained tempo now even if all the scheduled and unscheduled polls are held only after the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Most parties had raised the tempo with a hope of assembly polls or at least the panchayat and urban local bodies ( ULBs) elections this year or early next year.

Going by the present available indications and reports such polls may be held after the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in April- May next year. However, there is no official confirmation yet of such reports  more particularly about the panchayat and ULB polls.

Even if the other polls are held after Lok Sabha elections, the political parties at the most can reduce the activities to some extent but they would not like to suspend those totally. This year witnessed large scale activities by  most parties in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

They could manage to re-establish the connectivity in a big way with the common people on the ground level.  National Conference ( NC), Congress, BJP, PDP, Apni Party, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), People’s Conference, CPI(M),  Panthers Party and other parties on their  level made efforts to reach out to the people in the areas of their strength and elsewhere.

They continue to do so now also. Rallies, public meetings, workers’ meetings and other party functions are being held. Functions  to welcome the new entrants into the party fold are also taking place. The developments had helped the senior political leaders to seek public support to strengthen their respective parties.

Political analysts believe that such moves are important  for the parties since more parties have landed on the political landscape of Kashmir. With the passage of time, the competition is getting tougher in the Valley for the parties. While the major parties will try  to maintain their political supremacy, the new parties have to create a  niche for themselves in the electoral process and impress the voters and others.

For that hardwork is the only key. The parties are new but the leaders leading the parties or part of such parties are very senior and  having a vast experience.  They know well how to remain relevant with their activities . So, they will wish to continue their political actions in coming times as well.

DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad is scheduled to address a rally at Batamaloo in Srinagar on October 21. He had addressed a similar rally at Jawaharnagar here recently.

Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari  on his part is also very active. His recent appeal to all to join his party for strengthening the process of peace and development did evoke some response. This  was evident as a number of leaders and workers joined the Apni Party.

To what extent will the plea remain effective in coming times has to be seen. Bukhari had recently  made an appeal to political leaders and prominent workers including those from the Hurriyat Conference and Jamaat-e-Islami, who believe in the sovereignty and integrity of India and its constitution to join his party.

However, he had stated, “Those who are terrorists, anti-nationals, hatching conspiracies with enemy country and involved in drugs cannot join our party.” The Apni Party president had added that his appeal is also for those in other parties including in the National Conference and PDP.

J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina  during an interaction  with media persons in Anantnag  district recently viewed  that there is nothing wrong if anybody wants to strengthen the process  of peace and development.” It is a good thing if someone wants to contest polls and serve the people with the spirit of patriotism.

This is what we are saying. Serve the people, ” he said. Raina said that  terrorism and separatism has brought only death and destruction for decades in Jammu and Kashmir.

The J&K BJP president was talking to media persons after his visit to the residence of influential south Kashmir cleric Maulana Abdul Rashid Dawoodi. Dawoodi was released from jail some time back. Raina also paid a visit to the family of Qazi Nisar Ahmad to offer condolences on the death of his wife.

For last several years, Raina along with some other senior party leaders has been visiting Kashmir and addressing rallies and party meetings. He is also meeting  the cross section of people.

Political circles believe that Raina has the capacity for making inroads for his party in Kashmir provided he is able to assert himself politically and given some space at the official level as well. If he gets to redress the  grievances of common people, he can earn their goodwill. Almost all the J&K heads of national level parties have to face some kind of challenges from time to time.

For obvious reasons they cannot operate that independently and have to function within the defined space only. Congress for long has been remote controlling their leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. And same is true about other national parties as well.

However, despite his limited  defined role, it seems that  Raina sometimes likes to experiment as per requirement s. According to reports his visit to the grave of PDP founder and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in Bijbehara some months back  had almost cost him the post of his party presidentship.

But he could manage to survive the onslaught within the party and continues to be at the post. Raina knows that for getting support in Kashmir and  consolidating the  position, BJP strategy and approach for Valley has to undergo some fine tuning and slight changes as per the requirements.  But for that he needs  the full backing of his party and a meaningful say in the official circles as well.

Much will depend on such an approach  if BJP really intends to do some political harvesting in Kashmir on its own for the first time without depending on others. Otherwise, other parties particularly the NC will continue to call the shots atleast for this time and near future.

There seems an understanding between NC  and Congress leadership in New Delhi about how to go into the polls in future. This understanding was very much visible during the recently concluded Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections in Kargil district. 

The two parties had a seat sharing arrangement in elections and would  now share the political power jointly in LAHDC. How long will this understanding continue in Kargil will be of some interest for the  political  circles.

In 2019 , NC and Congress had shared power in LAHDC- Kargil but the arrangement did not last long as Congress pulled out and withdrew the support.  Growing differences between the two parties after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls were the main reason for the Congress pull out. BJP had won the seat. NC circles believe that Congress by fielding indirectly an independent candidate caused further division of votes among non- BJP candidates which finally led to the victory of BJP. 

This time the both NC and Congress have announced  that they would share the post of chief executive councilor ( CEC) cum chairman of LAHDC- Kargil in rotation.

To what extent and upto what time this arrangement will remain successful has to be seen since BJP is said to be having a tendency of not remaining calm for long  in the areas, where it loses the elections.

The BJP has already won two seats in recent LAHDC elections in Kargil. Four more members, to be nominated by Ladakh administration,  are going to join it and would take  its tally to six.

Selecting two executive councilors for LAHDC from each party would be a tough call for NC and Congress parties since a number of senior leaders are eyeing for the  posts.

So will be the making of the chief executive councilor cum chairman for the council in rotation for two and a  half years each. There can be heartburn among the senior leaders as all of them cannot get these posts.

The waiting BJP can exploit such a situation in future if it wishes and if really such a scenario emerges due to any kind of disunity in the ranks of NC and Congress.