Mahesh Chander Sudan
We, the people of India, are witnessing the ongoing Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana as declared recently by the Election Commission of India. Both JKUT and Haryana State have 90 seats in common but the elections of the youngest Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir hold special attention of the Nation for having been held after an unusual gap of ten years and post abrogation of controversial Article 370 and 35A. Though, it may be a great relief for the people of the Union Territory to cast their maiden mandate to elected government of their own and enjoy constitutional status like other citizens of India rather than in a limited space of governance for an elected Chief Minister owing to recent amendments passed in transaction of business by the government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules 2019. These rules are strengthening the role of appointed LG and Chief Secretary as compared to the elected representatives of the people indicating a diluted federal structure giving consolidated control of the Union Government over the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
There are few other noticeable changes/trends that would affect the lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is seen that political parties both national and regional are sponsoring their contestants for the legislative elections enriching the political spectrum that offers extended choice of representatives to the voters. A large number of Independent Candidates in the foray is another matter of concern. Around 40% candidates have registered themselves as Independent and this unusual trend possibly resulted for two reasons as most of the political parties have under subscribed against 90 assemblies either out of alliance compulsion or lack of winnable contestants in the field. The largest political entities like BJP fielded 62 candidates; NC and Congress in alliance sponsored 51 and 32 respectively and left remaining seats for other partners. Similarly, other political parties namely PDP, AIP, AP, AAP, PC, BSP and few others have fielded candidates’ selectively and left potential leaders of their cadre to contest at their own as Independents. It is equally evident that some Independent candidates are sponsored by main stream political parties both Kashmir based/ national as proxy/dummy contestants merely to create electoral fog for misguiding voters. It may be financial constraint for local political outfits to field large inventory of candidates in the given circumstance with an exception of BJP who has neither forged any pre poll alliance with any other contesting political outfit nor subscribed in total for 90 assemblies.
It squarely indicates that all contesting political parties have summarized that clear majority mandate in the prevailing circumstance may not come through and expectedly fractured mandate would compel them to forge alliances for formation of government. This is possibly another situation warranting creation of a pool of king makers in the shape of Independents by bigger players in the politics. The innocent people of Jammu and Kashmir unaware of all these political trends evolved over a period time are going to cast their mandate expectedly in a free and fair environment to their leaders and in turn would allow these elected representatives to govern public resources for larger welfare of the state. In a democratic set up, it is constitutionally established for citizens to become part of participatory governance of resources through their elected representatives but the party politics at times acts as a hindrance in achieving this solemn objective. While seeking mandate, the leaders of the political parties influence voters through their party ideology and try to draw their attention towards specific party alignments with reference to general welfare of the public. However, in the compelling situations where post poll alliance is the only available solution for formation of government, the alliance partners are to draw common minimum program (CMP) to be followed for governance in accordance with the Constitution of India.
In the given scenario, the participating political entities both national and regional are unlikely to get majority mandate owing to demographic variations across the Union Territory and are left with no other option than working out alliance either pre or post poll ones. It also becomes a fact that both the regions are dependent on each other for formation of government more specifically post 2019 when territorial reorganization of the then State of Jammu and Kashmir was carried out to make Ladakh region as an independent Union Territory. As regards BJP, the party has not worked out any pre poll alliance with any other participating political entities and may seek alliance post poll depending on the situation emerging after declaration of results. However, Indian National Congress and National Conference have already worked out pre poll alliance and are also open to any other partner, if so required, for post poll alliance as well. These factors emerging out of evolving political trends and the ground reality faced during first phase of elections on 18 Sep 2024 assign a serious responsibility to the voters to use their mandate optimally and do not allow situation like 2014 to emerge where in power compelled BJP to forge alliance with traditionally ideological opponent PDP and brought erstwhile state to the present political holocaust/turmoil for almost a decade.
It is also witnessed that none of the contesting political parties fielded candidates on all 90 seats, even the largest national party BJP fielded 43+19 candidates in Jammu and Kashmir regions respectively that indicates the acceptance of the fact in anticipation that the voters in Kashmir region do not align ideologically with the party and an alternate arrangement route through Independent candidates may supplement their strategy. Notwithstanding all, fractured mandate after a long political void of ten years may be a cause of worry for all conscious citizens who suffered a decade long centralized rule with no local access to participate in democratic governance of the public resources hurting larger welfare of the state especially in the third largest democracy of the globe.
The author is Wg Cdr (Retd)
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