Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 14: Kishtwar violence is likely to cost heavily National conference in the next assembly election. The violence and its subsequent polarization in the Jammu region could unsettle the dream of Omar Abdullah again heading the state.
Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo had in the last assembly elections won the seat with a margin of about 2,000 votes. BJP had polled about 16,783 votes, while Kitchloo got 19,248 votes.
Kitchloo managed to win the seat because of about 5000 committed votes of Hindus, who had traditionally voted for NC.
The violence in Kishtwar has polarized the constituency to such an extent that now NC is likely to lose its Hindu votes. Cong didn't get much votes and these votes are likely to gravitate towards BJP with Kitchloo likely to lose more votes to even PDP.
NC has won six seats from the Jammu region. In the entire Jammu region, the NC candidates have won with support of Hindu votes. It played at major role in keeping the NC tally to 28. But now NC especially Omar has emerged has the hate figure in the Jammu region.
The survival of NC now depends on how it handles the situation and how it can assuage the hurt sentiments of this Hindus, and its difficult task.
"Omar had always shown disinterest to Jammu. His tweet reflect this andnow he said one Hindu and two muslims were killed. This was the final nail in the NC 's coffin and it will cost us hugely," said NC leader wishing not to be named.
The killing of people in Kishtwar is likely to affect the NC in Kashmir also. PDP could play it out in a manner that NC failed to protect Muslims when ample signals were coming out.
Not only that PDP, which is already ascending in the valley, will also project it in manner that Omar had succumbed under the pressure of BJP by not even allowing disbanding VDC, which has been projected as the real reason, though entirely incorrect, for the clash.
"The government was hoping that polarization could help it in elections. The sectarian violence in Kashmir and now communal violence in Jammu region, points to it. But it is likely to boomerang and party will fall flat in next assembly election," said a senior NC leader. |
