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| For now decision is delayed, not polls deferred | | | NIRBHAY JAMMUAL
It is difficult to change or discard one's habits. I am neither talking about bad or good habits nor of the habit of smoking or stealing. I am referring to the habits of political leaders. The PDP leadership has, over the years, inculcated the habit of taking credit for whatever suits it. The PDP leadership has become a slave of its habit of taking credit for any decision or indecision.When the Election Commission announced the Assembly poll schedule for five states it deferred its decision on Jammu and Kashmir election.It said that it was still "assessing" the situaton.But the PDP Chief,Mehbooba Mufti,said "it has vindicated the party's stand."She,in fact,wanted to give an impression that if the Election Commission has deferred decision on fixing the poll schedule it was because of the PDP's stand on the issue.She said that the PDP leadership had conveyed to the commission that the atmosphere was not conducive for the election.The PDP leadership seems to have construed postponement of the decision by the Election Commission as deferrment of the poll which,at this stage,is incorrect.This is evident from the Commission's candid statement that it was still assessing the situation.
Thank God the National Conference and the Congress leadership remained noncommital on the role of the Election Commission.Had the leaders of these two parties welcomed the Commission's observations on the matter in the way Mehbooba Mufti did the state could have become again a bed for regional divide because in the Jammu region the Congress,the PDP and the National Conference are treated as valley centric organisations.Simple delay on the part of the Election Commission has given rise to anger among the Jammu centric political organisations,including the BJP and the Panthers Party.Leaders of these two organisations have begun accusing the Congress,the National Conference and the PDP of trying to influence the Election Commission so that the Assembly poll in the state was postponed.If for the PDP delay in deciding the poll schedule meant deferrment of the election the opinon in the camps of the BJP and the Panthers Party is not different.Leaders of these two parties too have a feeling that the election was going to be postponed.That is something different if it would be postponed under the pressure from the PDP,the NC and the Congress.
It is for the first time that the Election Commission has been in the eye of the storm over the delay in fixing the poll schedule in Jammu and Kashmir.When following the fall of the Sheikh Abdullah led Government the state was placed under the Governor's rule in 1977 there was no cry for holding the election on time.There was no cry for ordering election when the state was placed under the Governor's rule in 1986.And for six years of the Governor's and later President's rule the Election Commission did not face any criticism from the lovers of democracy in Jammu Kashmir over the delay in holding the election.In reality between 1990 and 1996 no political party was prepared to contest the election.It was after sustained goading that the National Conference leadership agreed to fight the election.Why then the cry this time ?The BJP and the Panthers Party leaders seem to be sure of their success in the battle of the ballot hence they want the election to be held as early as possible.They believe any delay could dilute their victory chances.The PDP is opposed to it becaue the turmoil over the land row had rocked its boat.It wants time to set its house in order.The National Conference leadership is not equally enthusiastic about he poll if held towards the end of next month.But its leadership has preferred to play a clever role.It has left it to the discretion of the Election Commission to fix the poll schedule.The case with the Congress is not different than the NC because both want a breathing time.However,NC patron Farooq Abdullah is in favour of early elections because he believes that his party can rout the PDP.
But the leaders belonging to the NC,the Congress and the PDP should understand that even if the BJP and the Panthers parties fare well in the election they canot stake claim to form the Government.The two can win more seats only in the Jammu region which alone cannot help the two to win majority of seats in the Assembly because their base is limited to the Jammu region only which has 37 constituencies.This way the fears in the mind of NC and the Congress leaders are without any substance.They need to realise that postponement of the election till next year could be construed as a surrender before the separatists.Rise of such fears needs to be arrested. |
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