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| Habitual turn coat G M Shaw throwing his hat in the electoral ring on "Azadi" plank | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Mar 27
News Analysis
With elections to the state assembly still six months ahead, political parties have started gearing up to throw their hat in the electoral ring. Whereas the main three political dispensations in the state, Congress, National Conference and PDP are eyeing power either on their own or in alliance with other major parties, some of the small political groups only want to be counted among those who also ran the race. Notwithstanding their strength and support base only nominal and if at all confined to a few selected pockets, these small political groups are making tall claims of fielding candidates in almost all the 87 assembly seats in the state. Some of them may be making loud talks with a view to sharpen their bargaining strength with the likely alliance partners, while some may be aspiring to become a balance factor in formation of next government in the state, even by winning less than half a dozen seats, predicting the election to turn a hung assembly with split verdict.
One feels only amused over the announcement by the Samajwadi Party (SP), Janta Dal (U), Rashtriya Lok Dal and the BSP about fielding candidates in almost all the seats. Barring BSP, which has some vote bank in some pockets in Jammu region, none of the other small groups are in a position to give the fight worth the name and even upset the calculations of larger parties. In this regard what is most amusing is the announcement by the Awami National Conference led by a former Chief Minister G M Shaw that the party would be fighting the next assembly elections on the slogan of freedom for J&K and for right of self determination. Knowing well that the nomination papers of no candidate belonging to any party or fighting the election as an independent will be accepted by the election commission, without the candidate owing allegiance to the constitution of India and that of the state, both of which categorically state J&K to be part of India, the ANC has perhaps already found the escape route for not getting humiliated with its candidates forfeiting securities and coming out very poorly in the polls. The party's demand that the election should be held under the control of United Nations is another pointer of the party already deciding the escape route and ultimately boycotting the elections, on the pretext of the nominations of their candidates getting rejected.
The statement by the General Secretary Avami National Conference, Advocate Mohammad Shafi in a rally addressed by him at Anantnag on Tuesday, claiming the ANC to be the sole pro freedom party contesting the fourth coming assembly election has only amused the political observers. His claim that their leader G M Shaw ha never succumbed to the dictatorial policy of India and has never compromise with the powers that be in New Delhi and has never changed his stance in support of freedom for J&K from Indian occupation and for right of self determination to the people to decide their future, has an element of height of irony and amusement. People's memory may be short lived, yet it is not so short lived that they would forget G M Shaw and his party ANC having bonhomie with the Congress and Shaw singing the song pledging eternal love for the then Central ruling party at a public meeting at Parade Ground Jammu, soon after toppling in 1984, the duly elected NC government led by his estranged brother-in-law Farooq Abdullah through defections engineered by him on the behest of Central ruling party, the Congress, whose state unit was then headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. His tune of "Sou Saal Pehle Mujhe Tumse Pyar Tha---Aaj Bhi Aur Kal Bhi Rahe Gha", is not forgotten to all those who were witness to Shaw's succumbing to the temptation of coming to power and play puppet to the Central government.
Ageing G M Shaw who would go to any extent to get accommodated his son Muzaffar Shaw in any power structure in the state had in the past throwing feelers to the National Conference led by Farooq Abdullah, when it was a ruling party in the state, for patch up, with the only condition that his son should be duly accommodated. He has been in habit of initiating the moves which have every possibility of being failure. In the past he has mooted moves repeatedly for holding an international conference to build consensus on the Kashmir issue, by extending invitations to political leaders in Pakistan, PoK, selected ones from Indian part of J&K as well as Kashmiris settled in some foreign lands. Knowing well that the government of India and even of Pakistan would not issue visas, his move was actually aimed at maintaining his relevance in the politics in J&K. His present move to fight elections on the plank of Independent Kashmir and right to self determination, is also a repeat exercise towards the same end, knowing it well that the same will not materialise. |
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