Fresh bid by Congress to retrieve the lost political space in J&K

Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir has started fresh efforts in a bid to regain the lost political space and make itself relevant again.The beginning has been made immediately after the Supreme Court recently upheld the abrogation of Article 370.

Aware of the fact that two major parties National Conference and PDP are yet to completely adjust to the changed political and geographical scenario, Congress intends to move beyond the abrogation of Article 370 scene and get the people’s attention and support by trying to address some of their concerns. The party made the intentions clear during two separate meetings of its political affairs committee and executive committee in Jammu recently. Resolutions were passed for safeguarding the land and job rights and natural resources of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and it was resolved to fight for such rights. It was decided to interact with the Congress leadership in New Delhi and move forward on the issues.

The Congress leadership feels that such kind of agenda has an appeal in Kashmir as well as in Jammu. Some days back several Jammu based parties after a separate meeting made almost a similar demand. The leadership of Ladakh union territory recently held talks with central government on land, job and natural resources related rights and other issues. In a way Congress intends to push this agenda in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

According to All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge J&K affairs, Rajni Patil, the issues of land, job and natural resources rights were raised by the youth of Jammu and Kashmir with senior leader Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra here. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Vikar Rasool Wani said that his party wants same rights on land, jobs and natural resources for the people here as the people in several other states have.

For Congress, Jammu and Kashmir is not something a new place. The party was instrumental in facilitating the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with union of India in 1947 and then providing special status, Article 370 and Article 35- A. The party also played an important in making the Article 370 hollow from time to time through its “ Gistaay Gistaay Gis Jayea Ga” policy and process. And finally the final blow was dealt to Article 370 by BJP on August 5, 2019 by completely uprooting it with its abrogation.

Congress has ruled Jammu and Kashmir directly or indirectly for decades. It formed the governments and toppled the governments at will. The party while in power at centre installed unpopular politicians as rulers whenever it liked and did not show any reluctance in rigging the polls with other parties when it felt like doing so. The party was being considered a king maker party before the 2014 assembly polls. Congress had formed coalition government with PDP after 2002 elections and with NC after from 2008 polls. So it has not been out of power in J&K for so long.

Senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resignation and then he forming his own party Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) did cause some damage to Congress in Jammu and Kashmir and more particularly in Chenab Valley. However, the party recovered to some extent after several senior leaders from Kashmir and Jammu returned after deserting DPAP. Political analysts believe that if the Congress leaders work hard and move ahead with a clear direction, their party can bounce back not only in Kashmir but in Jammu also in coming polls . It can surprise the other parties like NC, PDP and BJP.

Whatever be the directions from the New Delhi Congress leadership at election time, there is a feeling right now among the leaders in JKPCC that they must strengthen their party on individual level without relying on other parties before or during elections. Echoing the sentiment of J&K Congress leadership, Rajni Patil, claimed that her party will form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Going by the present political assessments, no party is going to get absolute majority in J&K assembly polls and next government can be a coalition government only. However, various parties keep on claiming getting the majority and forming the government on their own. Political analysts say that if any party has more chances of reaching near the magic number of majority or touching it , it is the BJP provided if the party repeats the 2014 assembly polls like performance in Jammu. The rival political parties say that efforts have been made and steps taken to facilitate BJP getting more seats than others. To what extent such moves can prove fruitful for BJP will be known at the election time.

The political parties will go into elections with the agenda which suits their respective vote banks. But once the election results are out and if there is a hung assembly, the parties will lose no time in exploring possibilities to form the coalition government with like minded or maybe also with unlike - minded parties as has been happening since past. BJP had formed the government with PDP in J&K after 2014
assembly polls. NC was also part of NDA government headed by BJP at centre during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’ s time.

Congress leader Vikar Rasool Wani said that only his party will not go with the BJP to form the government, while rest others can go. “This is the main reason why Congress is getting more public support now than other parties in J&K,” he said.

The traditional parties in Kashmir claim that BJP intends to form the next government with the help of newly formed parties, who vehemently deny such charges describing such claims by rivals as baseless. Azad have been saying that it was not him but NC and PDP leaders, who were part of government with the BJP in past. He said if Congress was winning polls in J&K or in other parts of the country, it was because of him. With Azad out of Congress now, it is to be seen how effectively the present leadership in J&K is going to take their party to next elections for Lok Sabha and assembly. Congress during its recent Jammu meetings has almost set the agenda - To fight for the land, job and natural resources rights. To what extent the party gets support on such an issue is to be seen during polls. For safeguarding these rights, the Congress must have its own government at the centre after 2024 Lok Sabha polls. But is that possible? That seems unlikely as of now since it appears that BJP may get political power for the third consecutive time and complete a hat-trick.

Political observers say whatever be the results later, right now Congress with its new agenda would like to make itself relevant again in J&K politics and win the seats in the elections. It seems that NC and PDP will go into polls with their agenda to continue “fight for restoration of Article 370.” This despite the fact that Supreme Court has upheld the abrogation of Article 370 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself said that Article 370 is a history and no power on earth can bring it back now. Going by the history, the political clock has never turned back as far as the issues related to J&K’s special status are concerned. The politicians know about it and the people also know about it. But then political parties do not always mean or believe in things, which they sometimes promote or propagate during polls for electoral benefits.

Author is senior editor, Greater Kashmir.