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| Ensuing civic elections have two-fold importance | | |
The ensuing civic elections in Jammu and Kashmir has two-fold importance.First,it will determine whether the Congress and the National Conference can survive while contesting the election in alliance with each other or the two parties decide in favour of fighting it separately.Indications are that in case the two decide against fielding common candidates the ruling coalition may opt for seat adjustment and understanding so that the two were able to maintain the spirit of coalition dharma. Not only this.The ensuing elections to the two Municipal Corporations in Srinagar and Jammu,and the municipal committees will indicate whether the mainstream political parties,that contested the civic elections, suffered some erosion or not.The level of erosion can be measured by the number of wards they capture and the percentage of votes they poll.A comparison can be made with the previous poll results.If we take into account the Assembly election results of 2008
we
find that with 28 seats the National Conference is at the top followed by the PDP which won 21 seats and the Congress with 17 seats.The BJP,after a long gap,won 11 seats when in 2002 poll it had bagged only one seat.The Panthers Party won two against four in 2002.The CPIM bagged one against two in 2002.Though the leaders of the mainstream political parties,especially the Congress and the National Conference,say that the civic election results are not an index of the popularity and overall strength or weakness of the contending parties,it is a barometre indicating the level of erosion each party has suffered.If the mainstream political parties are not prepared to admit that the civic elections carry political significance then why should they field party candidates.Why not candidates,having no allegiance to any political party, enter the poll fray ?Let it be then a non-party election.But politicians may not be prepared because they would like to
control as many civic bodies as possible.The second importance of these civic elections is the way people,to be precise the voters,respond to the election boycott call given by the separatists.Even though the poll schedule has not yet been announced separatists of varied hues have already called upon people to abstain from participation in the civic poll.If the separatists have given a poll boycott call they have been giving such calls during the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections since 1989.Though militancy was at its peak in the Kashmir valley in 1989 the call for boycott of the Lok Sabha election had its impact in Srinagar constituency where the NC candidate,Mohd.Shafi Bhat,was elected to the Lok Sabha without a contest.But polling in other four constituencies took place.The separatists gave a call for the Assembly poll in 1996,2002 and 2008 but the call had no impact on the polling.No doubt some of the constituencies in the Kashmir valley,especially
in Srinagar city,witnessed poor polling in the remaining constituencies it was brisk and heavy voters participation.Whenever leaders belonging to the separatist camp are reminded of their failure in securing total response to the boycott call they argue that people take part in elections as they want better roads,drinking water and electricity supply besides better job avenues.While trying to hide their discomfiture these separatists say that if people take part in elections that does not mean they have accepted the state's accession with India.They argue that had elections been a substitute for a plebiscite the Kashmir issue would have been settled in 1951 when the first Assembly election was held in Jammu and Kashmir.It seems these separatists take pleaure in living in a world of their creation.(eom)
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