Highly important visit generates interest

The public rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bakhshi Stadium in Srinagar on March 7 is highly important. Important, since this is his first visit to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and the visit is also taking place just before the crucial parliamentary polls.

Not only in Jammu and Kashmir but in other parts of the country also, the visit, the rally, and the message of the Prime Minister will be keenly and closely watched.

This will be the first public rally by a Prime Minister at Bakhshi Stadium. Earlier, in the past the Prime Ministers would address such rallies at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium or speak at government functions at SKICC here or other places. Bakshi Stadium is usually the venue for Independence Day and Republic Day functions.

Bakhshi Stadium rally will complete the hat trick of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies in Srinagar city. On December 8, 2014 he addressed BJP's election campaign rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium during the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Later, he again addressed a public rally at same venue on November 7, 2015.

At that time the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was being ruled by PDP-BJP coalition government headed by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. During his speech at that time the Prime Minister had unveiled the roadmap of his government for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. He also announced a developmental package of Rs 80,000 crore for J&K with an assurance that it was just a beginning as the "treasurers of Delhi and heart of Delhi is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir."

He had hoped that the package will change the destiny of youth in "naya Kashmir." The Prime Minister also resolved to solve the growing unemployment problem among the youth. He stressed on strengthening the tourism, agriculture, horticulture and handicrafts sectors on scientific basis to create more job opportunities and have global market for the local produce.

Addressing the rally, the Prime Minister also stated that he did not need advice or analysis of anybody in the world on Kashmir. "No message can be bigger than what Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji had talked about on the same soil and same venue several years back.

He had given the three mantras Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat and Insaniyat. The development of Kashmir will be based on these three pillars", PM Modi stated. Some political opponents of PDP later said that it was a snub to Mufti, who during the rally had suggested to the Prime Minister how to deal with Pakistan.

Later, during the following few years political developments occurred at fast pace in Jammu and Kashmir. After the death of the Mufti, his daughter Mehbooba Mufti was made the chief minister. But her government collapsed as BJP withdrew support. Then article 370 was abrogated and J&K bifurcated into two union territories on August 5, 2019.

And now Jammu and Kashmir like other parts of the country is gearing up for Lok Sabha polls and the election notification is expected shortly. So far as assembly polls are concerned the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold the elections before September 30 this year. Reports indicate that the ECI team during its visit to Jammu and Kashmir next week will also try to explore the possibility of simultaneous assembly and parliamentary polls.

Political circles here say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may talk about assembly polls or restoration of statehood to J&K during the Bakhshi Stadium rally.

However, at the Jammu rally recently on February 20, he did not mention anything about the assembly polls or statehood. The Prime Minister inaugurated the developmental projects worth Rs 32, 000 crores there.

The BJP leaders have been saying that their government is ready to hold assembly polls here but the call about the timing of holding such an exercise has to be taken by ECI. Regarding statehood, they say that a commitment has been made by the central government in parliament that the statehood will be restored after assembly polls.

As per reports the Prime Minister during his coming visit besides addressing the rally will also launch development projects and interact with beneficiaries of various government schemes.

The J&K unit of BJP, which has already geared up for parliamentary polls, is presently busy in making preparations for the Prime Minister's rally. The party has already announced its candidates for the Jammu and Udhampur constituencies. Like 2014 and 2019, Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore will again be the candidates for  Udhampur and Jammu respectively.

While the BJP has announced to contest the rest three seats -Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri-Poonch seats also but candidates for the constituencies are yet to announced. National Conference (NC), Congress and PDP have not also announced their candidates. The three parties have not yet reached to any seat sharing arrangement.

NC held its parliamentary board meeting  on March 5 and discussed the strategy and candidates. After the meeting  the NC Provincial President( Kashmir) Nasir Aslam Wani told media  that his party will contest Srinagar, Baramulla  and Anantnag-Rajouri-Poonch seats on its own. For  Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh seats discussions are on with the Congress for seat sharing, he added.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party has said that it will soon announce the candidates. Till now only People's Conference has revealed that its President Sajad Gani Lone is party candidate for Baramulla constituency.

Apni Party said that  its list of candidates will be released after the visit of ECI team to J&K. This month almost all major parties are expected to announce the names of their candidates.

Author is senior editor, Greater Kashmir