From shows of strength to foot march, poll scene hots up in J&K

PDP’s youth rally in November and the National Conference’s gathering on December 5 during which Farooq Abdullah was again named party chief were the other two significant political episodes taking place in UT, which will also be the culmination point of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the last week of January.

Jammu and Kashmir has this year seen four major political events starting with Union home minister Amit Shah’s rallies in Rajouri and Baramulla, which was followed by Apni Party’s show of strength by Altaf Bukhari in Srinagar last month. PDP’s youth rally in November and the National Conference’s gathering on December 5 during which Farooq Abdullah was again named party chief were the other two significant political episodes taking place in UT, which will also be the culmination point of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the last week of January.

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari poses with party leaders and workers during a convention in Samba on Saturday. In November, Bukhari had taken out a massive show of strength in which thousands of workers turned up. (ANI)

All top leaders seem to be in a ‘campaign mood’ in J&K, where first assembly elections post-revocation of Article 370 could be a possibility next spring or summer.

“We know only elections can empower people. Currently, it is a set up run by officials who don’t even entertain PRIs,” said a former legislator of the erstwhile state assembly, who is now a senior leader of the Apni Party. “I want elections at the earliest, but I still have doubts. People have starting losing hope and leaders are trying hard to repose their faith in democratic institutions.”

Soon after the revocation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah had promised elections following the delimitation exercises and statehood to J&K. With the delimitation already complete, the political parties in rallies and on social media keep on reminding the Centre about its promise of the holding assembly elections. Some leaders such as Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad are also demanding restoration of statehood ahead of the polls.

In October, Shah had held two big rallies in the UT, biggest by any political party since August 2019, which saw mammoth gatherings. Majority of the people were from Pahari community, who had been promised tribal status by the BJP. He spoke about how after revocation of Article 370, thousands of panchayat members were empowered in J&K. “The elections will be held after the electoral rolls process are completed,” Shah had said.

In November, the Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari had taken out a massive show of strength in city’s SK Stadium Sonwar in which thousands of workers turned up. Bukhari spoke on restoration of statehood and Article 370 besides youths lodged in jails. He has been holding rallies every week across J&K, trying to strengthen his party and add new leaders to the party fold. “Ours is just a two-year-old party and people are showing faith and trust in us. For us, it is a big achievement. We recently won DDC election from Bandipora and secured good votes in Kupwara,” he said.

On December 5, the NC had held its delegate session on the 117th birth anniversary of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. The session attended by hundreds of workers from across Kashmir was addressed by NC president Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah. “I have asked party workers and leaders to prepare for polls. We didn’t participate in panchayat polls, which was a mistake. Now onwards, our party wont boycott any elections,” Farooq had said, while asking security forces against interfering in the poll process. Omar had also conveyed to the leaders and workers that upcoming elections could be tough. “We aren’t only facing the BJP or its A, B, C, D and E teams now, but also have other challenges,” he had said.

In the last week of November, PDP youth workers had organised a big rally-cum-convention in Srinagar, which was attended by party president Mehbooba Mufti and other senior leaders. Post-revocation of Article 370, it was the party’s big political power show, where Mehbooba had asked people to use the “weapons” of assembly and panchayat to fight. “If you want to fight, panchayats, local bodies or assembly are the weapons in your hands and you should not leave them for someone else,” she had said.

Former Union minister and head of Democratic Azad Party Ghulam Nabi Azad, who after leaving the Congress formed his own party, also organised dozens of rallies to show his political support among the masses. And like the Apni Party’s chief Bukhari, his main thrust was on the restoration of statehood, jobs and land rights for locals.

The Congress, which is in its revival mode after exit of dozens of leaders in past three months, wants to use Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra to reorganise its cadres and kick start the preparation for polls. “Bharat Jodo Yatra will culminate in Srinagar and there is going to be a big show. Though this yatra has nothing to do with polls, it’s going to galvanise the party leaders and cadres,” said former J&K Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir.

Sajad Lone, head of People’s Conference, has also held a series of power shows in the Valley and is quite active on social media in highlighting issues related to people.