Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, May 7: The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought everything to a grinding halt, including the political process, in J&K. Chances of assembly elections being held in the newly carved out Union Territory look very bleak.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “The Delimitation Commission, which was announced just few days before the COVID-19 reached J&K has not started any exercise as yet. The process of demarcating new assembly constituencies will at least take a year. Till then there is no possibility of elections being held in J&K.”
He said, “Barring Peoples Democratic Party, other Kashmir based parties, including National Conference, seem to have fallen in the line and it appears that they will have no objection in contesting the elections.”
The analyst said, “May be the PDP will stay away from the process as the party stands disintegrated with its president Mehbooba Mufti still being under detention under Public Safety Act at her Gupkar residence in Srinagar.”
He said, “Whenever, the elections are held these are going to prove an uphill task for the Kashmir based parties. After delimitation Jammu and Kashmir regions are likely to have equal number of assembly seats. In Kashmir many parties will be contesting the elections. The emerging situation indicates that the next Chief Minister of J&K will be from Jammu as the seats between the regional parties in Kashmir will stand divided.”
It’s in place to mention here that in 2018, National Conference, Congress and Peoples Democratic Party had come together and staked the claim to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir but the then Governor Satya Pal Malik did not entertain them and dissolved the assembly.
“There is a possibility about Kashmir based parties coming together but for that the political process has to begin. Barring newly formed Apni Party, led by Altaf Bukhari, none of the political parties have been that active. Even Bharatiya Janata Party, which won 25 out of 37 seats in Jammu region, in 2014 assembly elections, has not been that vibrant,” the observer adding, “Once this COVID-19 threat is over, politics in Jammu and Kashmir is going to be an altogether different ball game.”
Another analyst said, “Political scenario in J&K has changed completely. Leaders from Kashmir will have to change their strategy as new Delhi has thrown an open challenge to them. The delimitation of the assembly constituencies means that power will be shared equally between the Jammu and Kashmir regions. It appears that Jammu is all set to dominate the political scenario in J&K in days to come.”
