Call it a mere coincidence or the change in the winds of power, the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is facing a challenge from BJP controlled centre and J&K Apni party similar to the one faced by erstwhile Muslim United Front (MUF) from the Congress then a ruling party at the centre and Congress in the 1987 assembly elections. So the much bigger issue about the ongoing DDC elections by all standards of understandabilities is of transparency but not of turn out. It may be recalled here that Congress then ruling at centre was desperate to win assembly elections in 1987 for control over the J&K Government in alliance with National Conference the way BJP leaders show their desperateness to claim control over district development councils (DDCs) through an alliance with J&K Apni Party and it’s other allies in Jammu and Kashmir now in the year 2020. Ironically the Congress and National Conference is still blamed for rigging 1987 assembly elections which top political commentators within and outside Jammu & Kashmir say was the cause for the eruption of militancy after a short span of two years in the erstwhile state. A rigging in DDC elections for denying PAGD (Peoples Alliance For Gupkar Declaration) control over district development councils (DDCs) the way 1987 assembly elections were rigged for denying then Muslim United Front (MUF) a role in J&K assembly could undoubtedly deepen the already deepening crisis of youth alienation in Jammu & Kashmir. Remember so for only two central governments are remembered for holding transparent assembly elections to erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state-one headed by Moraji Desai in 1977 and another headed by Attal Bihari Vajpayee in the year 2020.
The statements of the top BJP leaders and union ministers coming from Delhi during their presence at the election rallies in Kashmir have also gripped the fear of rigging in DDC elections as some of them have declared victory of their party contestants even before the polling in several areas of both Kashmir valley and Jammu regions . It remains to be seen that whether the party ruling at the centre prefers transparency in DDC elections for broader national interests and respect to popular mandate in Jammu & Kashmir or allows 1987 like rigging to further complicate the already complicate revival of mainstream politics in Jammu & Kashmir.
So BJP controlled Narendra Modi led Government at the centre has to take care of the good track record of the non Congress governments on transparency of elections in Jammu & Kashmir. However the actions of BJP showing that the party is almost fighting a friendly contest with newly launched J&K Apni Party and it’s other allies have generated a fear of election rigging in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu region. Unfortunately the actions of the incumbent BJP controlled Narendra Modi led government at the centre too have gone against the spirit of transparency in elections as allegations of discrimination in security of candidates from the opposition parties particularly the leadership of the PAGD (Peoples’ Alliance For Gupkar Declaration) and smaller parties have not been resolved to the satisfaction of the aggrieved poll contestants even after the completion of three rounds of DDC elections in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu region. The statements of the top BJP leaders and union ministers coming from Delhi during their presence at the election rallies in Kashmir have also gripped the fear of rigging in DDC elections as some of them have declared victory of their party contestants even before the polling in several areas of both Kashmir valley and Jammu regions . It remains to be seen that whether the party ruling at the centre prefers transparency in DDC elections for broader national interests and respect to popular mandate in Jammu & Kashmir or allows 1987 like rigging to further complicate the already complicate revival of mainstream politics in Jammu & Kashmir.
