As the state goes to polls for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the two biggest parties jump into the fray with bags full of promises. What is this all-important election battle all about?
Our Bureau
Srinagar/Jammu
Call it the big battle. After the general elections which just concluded in June, the country’s two biggest parties – BJP and Congress – are face to face again. This time for the hearts and souls of Jammu and Kashmir. These will be the first elections in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 five years ago.
The abrogation of Article 370 led to the revocation of the state’s special status and its bifurcation into two Union Territories in 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 8.
The first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will see 219 candidates in the fray, with voting scheduled for September 18. This will be the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. The second phase will be held on September 25, and third on October 1, with the results announced on October 8.
As the state gets ready for polling, both BJP and Congress are putting their heavy-weights into the election fray and campaigning.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday released its list of star campaigners for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, which is scheduled to be held on September 25. The list of star campaigners includes party’s prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. The party has also chosen Union Ministers including JP Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar and G Kishan Reddy.
Along with them, Himachal Pradesh LoP Jai Ram Thakur, Union MoS Jitendra Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, MP Anurag Thakur will also campaign for the party in the second phase of J-K polls. The list of 40-star campaigners also includes former Amethi MP Smriti Irani.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will release the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election manifesto for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections and will meet with the core group of the state’s BJP unit to review the party’s election preparations and ground-level activities.
Not to be left behind, the Indian National Congress has also announced 40-star campaigners on Thursday to lead the second phase of electioneering for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. In a notification issued on Thursday, the Congress party has named INC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretaries Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Jairam Ramesh as star campaigners in the run-up to the second phase polling.
Even as the two parties launch their big campaigns, they are focusing on different issues.
Congress and the National Conference are fighting the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir together. According to a seat-sharing agreement, the National Conference (NC) will contest 51 of the 90 seats, and the Congress will contest 32.
The two parties will also contest five seats against each other. One seat each has been allocated for CPI (M) and Panthers Party. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has also extended its support to the Congress and National Conference alliance in the J-K polls.
BJP election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, Ram Madhav, exuded confidence in the party emerging as the biggest party in the Union Territory.
Ram Madhav accompanied BJP J-K chief Ravinder Raina as he filed nomination for the upcoming assembly polls. He also expressed confidence in Raina “winning big” in the polls. Ravinder Raina filed nomination from Naushera assembly constituency.
“The support and excitement seen ahead of filing the nomination proves that Ravinder Raina is going to win big in the elections. We have faith that the BJP will emerge as the biggest party in the Union Territory. We have fielded strong candidates for all seats. We will win big in Jammu and we’ll be successful in the valley as well,” Ram Madhav said while speaking to reporters in Naushera on Thursday.
Raina exuded confidence and said that there is a strong wave of BJP in the entire J-K.
“Despite being close to the international border, BJP workers of Naushera gathered and carried out this roadshow to file their nomination with full zeal and enthusiasm. I hope that when the voting takes place here, the BJP government will be formed with a huge majority,” Raina said while speaking to reporters.
He accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress ally National Conference of insulting the Maharajas of the region and stated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will give an answer to Congress and their alliance.
“BJP is moving towards a big victory in J-K led by Naushera. Rahul Gandhi and his alliance partner National Conference have always insulted the very respected Maharajas of J-K. The people of J-K will definitely give an answer to Congress, Rahul Gandhi and their alliance partner, the National Conference,” the BJP chief said.
Raina earlier held a roadshow in the constituency before filing his nomination.
But the Congress party seems to focusing on restoring the statehood.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday advocated for the restoration of the region’s statehood, asserting that the withdrawal of its autonomous status has not only snatched the state of its identity but also eroded the rights and resources of its people.
While addressing an election rally in Ramban ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election, the Congress leader said, “For the first time in the history of India, statehood has been snatched away. Union Territory was first made a state… A state has been abolished and the rights of the people have been snatched away. First of all, the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir has to be returned because not only your state has been snatched away, your rights, your wealth, everything is being snatched away from you.”
After Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi advocated for Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, former Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah said on Wednesday that they are making efforts for the same and the alliance between Congress and National Conference is not a compulsion but a necessity.
He said, “I am going to meet him. We will succeed in the alliance that has been formed between Congress and National Conference. This is a big voice for our entire country, a slap on the face of those who used to say that we are Pakistanis, Khalistanis, I hope the people of India will understand that we want the state to progress and come out of this problem. I have seen the state becoming a Union Territory for the first time, we have to bring back the status of statehood and we are making efforts for this. This (Congress-National Conference alliance) is not a compulsion but a necessity, we have to take everyone along.”
Ahead of the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari asserted on Thursday that Congress will bring back Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood after coming into power in the state.
“Our leader has promised as soon as we get the opportunity, we will bring back the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference is with us in this,” said the Congress Rajya sabha member.
‘It is shocking that the status of a sensitive state on the border of the country, has been reduced to a Union Territory from the status of the state, the senior Congress leader added.
On Wednesday, ahead of the assembly polls in the Union Territory, the Congress released “Kya khoya, kya paya Jammu and Kashmir charge sheet sab kuch khoya, kuch nahi paya,” alleging the BJP’s betrayal over issues like unemployment, agriculture, education, health, and statehood.
The document released by the Congress targeted Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, alleging that the voice of the people in J-K is being suppressed. “An unelected Lieutenant Governor (LG), appointed from Delhi, holds all power and, despite promises, the restoration of statehood has been denied to the proud people of J-K, treating them as second-class citizens. Outsiders are being allocated land, resources, and jobs, while the locals grapple with rising prices, high taxes, water shortages, poor electricity supply, and excessive billing through smart metres,” it said.
The document also highlighted that Jammu and Kashmir has the second-highest unemployment rate in the country, double the national average, with 65 per cent of government posts remaining vacant since 2019.
