Anil Anand
The political machine overloaded with machinations of the worst order as its raw material, was on the roll even as the Kashmir Valley was on boil and Jammu and Kashmir the two important regions of the sensitive border state were adrift more dangerously than ever before.
A Lok Sabha bi-election, the other postponed, and poll for 11 seats to state Legislative Council dutifully accomplished in the name of strengthening democracy but without sparing a thought for people who after all are the spirit and mass of any democratic process. Not that this has happened for the first time in this troubled state, with a hope that it never happens again.
This phase of elections might look a miniscule but it has hit the credibility of poll process much harder than at any stage in the past. National Conference chief patron Dr Farooq Abdullah is a happy man having won the Srinagar Lok Sabha bi-election which recorded the lowest ever 7 per cent polling with his share being less than 50 per cent. The Legislative Council polls witnessed the ruling alliance partners BJP and Peoples Democratic Party clashing and not collaborating with each other.
These are certainly disturbing developments particularly from the peoples’ perspective and tossed certain serious questions even as the previous concerns arising after such situations have remained unanswered for all times to come.
The first and foremost dichotomy is embedded in the decision to hold bi-elections in Kashmir. Majority of the key players in the conduct of poll process were convinced that the situation was not conducive to polls but still it happened. It is rather intriguing that one finds Election Commission of India and the Home Ministry on the opposite side of the fence on this issue though it was reflected only in the post-Srinagar poll scenario. The Home Ministry claims it had advised the ECI against this while the latter boastfully claims that it does not require the Ministry’s concurrence or clearance to hold elections that too in a place as sensitive as Kashmir.
One does not know what is the truth but as a journalist of some consequence who has witnessed conduct of many a poll processes while covering both Home Ministry and ECI beats simultaneously, it is something never seen earlier. It is unimaginable for ECI to conduct elections overlooking Home Ministry’s inputs. After all the security related arrangements are in the Ministry’s domain.
There were already issues at hand and security forces were too stressed to be pushed into the poll process without any thinking and a proper gameplan in place. As a result the worst fears have come true and security forces have been left bruised, cornered and forced to offer explanations for acts which they were forced to perform as their duty. Those who should have been blamed for creating a mess on ground due to misgovernance or total lack of good governance are sitting pretty and celebrating victories.
Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmir in particular is notoriously known for elections decided and fought as per whims and fancies of the powerful political leaders particularly of the ruling elite variety. The circumstances and ground realities always become a secondary issue. The very basics of deciding the timing is that how easily it could be won and coronation of a particular leader assured.
It was justifiable in the early 1990s to start political process at all costs when the Valley was under the tight grip of Pakistan sponsored terrorist outfits. The political class also showed courage and fought elections at great personal risks. Dr Farooq Abdullah was one among them. So in some ways the low polling percentage was also seen as an achievement.
Travelling to 2017; after a lot of hard work and sacrifices made particularly by the security forces in retrieving the situation out of that hopelessness, the abysmally low 7 per cent polling is simply unacceptable. More seriously the repolling in 38 polling booths recorded a pathetic one per cent polling and still the system has the audacity to accept this outcome.
It is certainly not to blame the people of Kashmir who have, as and when required, shown their faith in the power of ballot, but those who either misread the situation or allowed elections to happen for personal reasons.
The Election Commission of India surprisingly overlooked the developments in Srinagar and accorded sanctity to election with 7 per cent electorate casting votes. There was a fit case to annul the election. After all it is not about merely winning or losing or completing the poll process but more importantly about ensuring that the public’s faith in democratic process remained intact.
The situation was on an even keel both in Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha constituencies. How come elections happened in Srinagar and postponed by a month in the latter case simply because South Kashmir of which Anantnag is a significant part is the mainstay of the ruling PDP or that Dr Abdullah was “assured” of his victory in Srinagar. Hard pressed as the ruling PDP-BJP combine is due to their politics of conflict, a loss for PDP would have put a sure question mark on the future of Mehbooba Mufti and her brother Tasaduq who is making his electoral debut in this bi-election.
The political machinations seemed to be at full play in these bi-elections. Some willingly and others unknowingly became part of this. Decidedly the people of the state have been the losers once again.
Coming back to Legislative Council elections it has again exposed the chinks and superficiality on which the PDP-BJP alliance has been based. Using the Supreme Court’s analogy of a caged parrot in regard to CBI, Mehbooba seems to have acquired this status in this coalition and the ease with which one of her own MLAs crossed over and voted for ally BJP nominee explains her dilemma.
The fledgling coalition will still move on as none in the PDP despite this hit has the courage to counter the BJP leadership and at least demand dignity and reciprocity. And inversely the saffron party is in no mood to lose a government.
But this incident of cross-voting has seriously dented late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s and also that of senior BJP leaders’ oft-repeated theory that the two ideologically different parties have come together to bridge the ever increasing gap between Jammu and Kashmir regions. Or else, BJP could have resisted the lure of winning an extra seat through cross-voting by an ally MLA and permitted PDP to have its space.
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