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| NC to take full advantage of the impression | | Secret understanding between Cong, PDP forming next government in alliance | | Early Times Special Correpondent
Jammu | May 3
News Analysis
It is now almost final that the Congress and PDP will be fighting the next elections to the state assembly separately. The final decision to this effect has been taken by the two parties with mutual understanding and the leadership as well as the rank and file of both the parties has favoured this decision and are confident that the same will pay the two parties electoral dividends in their respective constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. But the two parties are not going to launch a no hold barred campaign against each other, to leave the scope for the two forming a coalition government again, in case no party gets the majority on its own to form the government. At least, there is a general impression among the political circles, the observers as well as the politically awakened persons in the state that the two present main coalition partners, will again forge an alliance, to form the next government in coalition.
The main opposition party in the state, the National Conference is going to make most of this general impression prevailing here and is also all set to creates serious doubts in the minds of the electorates about a secret understanding having been reached between the Congress and PDP, to this effect. While in Kashmir valley, where Congress is considered to be an alien organization, whose emergence as a force is perceived to pave way for more control and domination of the Centre over Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference will exploit this mind set of the Kashmiris and particularly the separatists, to win over whom the party has lately thrown many overtures. Against this, the National Conference will try to take advantage of the strong anti PDP feelings prevailing in Jammu region, particularly in the Hindu majority areas as well as Gujjar dominated pockets of the region. The gaining ground of the impression that after the elections the Congress and the PDP will again form a coalition government in the state, can harm the prospects of Congress in Jammu region. While NC may like to cash on this, but the pro Jammu parties like BJP and JKNPP can be expected to be the main gainers. These two parties as well as other small pro Jammu political groups will also be giving air to the doubts in the minds of people at large in Jammu, about the Congress again joining hand with the separatist friendly and Kashmir centric PDP and even going to give big concession to the party, accommodating some of its agendas, which appease the separatists.
In the meanwhile the National Conference and the PDP are also pitted against each other over coming to light of some foreign militants operating in Kashmir having managed election photo identity cards. While the National Conference President Omer Abdullah has expressed his serious concern over the issue and has approached the Chief Election Commissioner of India for thoroughly screening the election photo ID cards issued in the Kashmir valley, the PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has strongly opposed taking in hand of any such exercise. She has stated that a few isolated cases of militants having managed photo ID cards should not put the electorates in general into fresh inconvenience and hardship of undergoing the cumbersome formalities of revision of electoral cards.
The National Conference is all set to use this plea of Mehbooba Mufti to dub the PDP as an organization supported by the militants by alleging that these ID cards have been issued to the militants, including some foreign nationals with the connivance of PDP who would like to avail of their services to over awe the voters as well as to influence them in favour of the PDP. While in Kashmir this may not help much the National Conference and not harm the prospects of PDP, but in Jammu this can become a major plank against the PDP.
Another controversy in the offing setting the Congress and the PDP on separate footings is revolving around the issue of giving extension to the present State Governor, General S K Sinha, whose five year term comes to an end on this June 4 or to have his replacement. While the Congress favours continuance of General Sinha as the State Governor till the constitution of next assembly and formation of the new government in the state and in this regard the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has already recommended to the Centre for extending the term of Gen. Sinha at least for six months, the PDP has been demanding and lobbying for appointment of a new Governor at the earliest, to take over as soon as Gen. Sinha's term expires on June 4. The PDP's antipathy towards the Governor Gen. Sinha is well known, the two having been dagger drawn over the PDP demand for demilitarization or reduction of troops in the state and withdrawal of AFSPA as well as on the issue of extending the period of Amarnath Yatra and SASB's moves to take measures to further facilitate and promote the yatra. Against this, the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Governor S K Sinha are believed to be having close understanding and mutual goodwill and admiration. |
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