news details |
|
|
| National Conference, no longer leading mainstream regional party of J&K | | Gets wiped out in Jammu, limited following in Kashmir | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, June 5: Not long ago there was a single regional mainstream party in Jammu and Kashmir and that was National Conference. The party had its base across the state with people religiously following the programmes being put forward by the leaders of this party.
However, as on date National Conference is no longer the party of people of the state. Its base has shrunken like the size of world famous Dal Lake. The party that emerged as single largest party in the 1996 Assembly elections has been reduced to a party representing a few pockets of Kashmir.
The party has virtually been wiped out from the scene from the Jammu division where Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has made serious inroads. There are very few people in Jammu division who recognize themselves with the National Conference as on date. Even the staunch supporters of the party have joined parties like BJP and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the recent past.
In the Kashmir valley, National Conference has been reduced as a party that has its base in some pockets of Central Kashmir. It had its legislators from Srinagar city, Ganderbal district and at one or two places in the Budgam district. There are people more so keen political observers who say that National Conference is the party of Srinagar alone.
As PDP has spread its base in South and North Kashmir, a mainstream party like National Conference has been relegated to the second position. The recent Parliamentary elections further lessened the role of NC with the party suffering humiliating loss in majority of the Assembly segments of all the districts of Kashmir valley including Srinagar district.
In the Ladakh region as parties like Congress and BJP have increased its base, National Conference has been forced to take the backseat. The party has a limited role in this region and in the recent past BJP has emerged as a strong force with the Congress party also feeling a threat.
Political analysts believe that the basic reason for the disillusionment among the masses with respect to National Conference is that the party leaders took the people for a ride. The NC leaders always felt they are safe and there is no threat to their position whatsoever.
National Conference leaders were under an impression that people of the state would always vote for them even if they don't present any plan of action before the electorate. Influence of the businessmen on the overall functioning of the party also played a dampener with the grass-root workers feeling disheartened.
People who offered their sweat and blood to the party were neglected by the party leadership and at the end of day they felt cheated. The party leaders never solved the petty problems of their workers and instead were busy in adding to their own coffers. This led to a gulf between the workers and NC leaders and the gulf has widened over the past few years with no immediate solution in sight. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
