“During the current election cycle in Jammu and Kashmir, many parties have been accused of supporting independent candidates in areas where their official candidates are weak. By doing so, they hope to splinter votes and secure a backdoor victory; a strategy that only deepens political fragmentation.”
Ahead of the first phase of Assembly elections from Sep 18, Jammu and Kashmir’s ever-shifting political landscape, unity has often been proclaimed as a lofty goal by various political parties. Whether through formal alliances or symbolic gestures, party leaders frequently claim to be united for the people’s welfare and to stand against divisive politics. However, the reality on the ground paints a different picture, where parties are deeply divided, backing proxy candidates and employing electoral tactics that foster division rather than unity. One of the most glaring contradictions in Jammu and Kashmir’s political scene is the proliferation of alliances that are often little more than tactical arrangements designed to consolidate power. Parties join hands, not out of genuine ideological alignment or concern for the people, but because alliances provide a convenient pathway to electoral victories. These political groupings often fall apart when put to the test, revealing deep rifts between parties that claim to be united. While such alliances may give the impression of a united front, differences in approach, ideology, and long-term objectives soon become apparent. Parties in these alliances, when faced with the reality of electoral politics, often support proxy candidates or quietly campaign against their supposed allies. Perhaps the most telling sign of this disunity is the widespread practice of fielding proxy candidates. While party leaders publicly profess allegiance to their coalition partners, they often covertly back independent candidates or proxy nominees to hedge their bets. This duplicity undermines any claims of unity and is seen by many as a way for parties to divide the electorate for their own gain.
“In Jammu and Kashmir, political parties may be united in their rhetoric, but on the ground, they remain deeply divided. The use of proxy candidates and the focus on divisive politics betray the promises of unity and progress. Instead of working towards genuine cohesion, these parties seem more focused on leveraging societal divisions for electoral gain, a practice that is ultimately detrimental to the region’s long-term stability and development. True unity can only come from sincere efforts to bridge divides—not from hollow promises and tactical alliances.”
For example, during the current election cycle in Jammu and Kashmir, many parties have been accused of supporting independent candidates in areas where their official candidates are weak. By doing so, they hope to splinter votes and secure a backdoor victory; a strategy that only deepens political fragmentation. This not only reveals the fragile nature of these alliances but also exposes how far removed the political discourse is from the realities on the ground. At the heart of these divisions lies the pursuit of power. Political parties, while claiming to be uniting people, are in fact contributing to deepening fault lines in society. Whether it’s pandering to regional, ethnic, or religious sentiments, the strategies employed by many political actors exacerbate the divisions they purport to heal. Each party claims to represent the true aspirations of the people, but their actions suggest a more cynical motive—divide and rule. This practice of fostering division for electoral gain is particularly damaging in a region as sensitive as Jammu and Kashmir, where socio-political divisions already run deep. By appealing to narrow identities and leveraging these divisions, political parties are stoking tensions that can have long-term repercussions for peace and stability in the region. In Jammu and Kashmir, political parties may be united in their rhetoric, but on the ground, they remain deeply divided. The use of proxy candidates and the focus on divisive politics betray the promises of unity and progress. Instead of working towards genuine cohesion, these parties seem more focused on leveraging societal divisions for electoral gain, a practice that is ultimately detrimental to the region’s long-term stability and development. True unity can only come from sincere efforts to bridge divides—not from hollow promises and tactical alliances.
