Following the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) announcement of the poll schedule for Jammu and Kashmir on August 16, the political landscape of the region is witnessing high-profile visits and alliances. 

While the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir, RSS leader and J & K’s election in charge Ram Madhav is also in the region. 

Congress visit 

The Congress leaders arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday evening and held a workers meeting on Thursday morning, which was attended by senior party leaders and functionaries of the region. The leaders addressed a press conference before calling on the National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to stitch up a pre-poll alliance. 

During the workers’ meeting, Gandhi said that there would be a coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, but not at the expense of the interests of the party workers and leaders. 

He said that many Union Territories, post-independence, were upgraded to States. “But there is only one instance when a statehood was revoked and a UT was created,” said Gandhi. He termed it as a unique occurrence, saying it has never happened in the history of India. 

Restoring statehood

Gandhi said that representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir was crucial for them and the country. 

He said that it was the priority of Congress and INDIA bloc to restore statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.  

Later, addressing a press conference, Kharge said that the party leadership wanted to fight elections along with the Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir.

Gandhi, who briefly interacted with the reporters said that it was always a pleasure to come to Kashmir and he had a deep relationship with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. 

He said that he understood that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were going through a difficult  period and the Congress party was always there to help them. 

Alliance on track 

Soon after the Congress leaders’ visit to Abdullahs, the National Conference president Dr Abdullah said that “the alliance is on the track”. 

He said that the alliance was on all the 90 seats and would be signed by this evening. 

“CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is also with us,” Abdullah told reporters. 

The National Conference and the Congress had entered a pre-poll alliance in 1986, following the Rajiv-Farooq Accord. 

The alliance was in opposition to the Muslim United Front, an amalgam of various socio- religious parties. The elections, which took place in 1987, were widely perceived as rigged and became an immediate cause for eruption of militancy in the region. 

A political analyst told businessline that the present alliance signifies the importance of regional partners for the rise of Congress both at State and national level. 

Madhav’s visit 

A day after BJP appointed Madhav as its election in-charge for the upcoming J & K Assembly elections on August 20, the former BJP general secretary visited Jammu and Kashmir and held a flurry of meetings. Following the 2014 Assembly elections, Madhav played a key role in stitching up an alliance between PDP and BJP.

“The party is also looking for allies, but a pre-poll alliance won’t be possible,” said the political analyst. 

He, however, said that a post-poll alliance was quite possible. 

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said that the party did not need any partners to enter a pre-poll alliance either in Jammu or Kashmir. “BJP is strong enough to contest alone,” he added. 

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