On Friday afternoon, in a dingy alley in Srinagar’s downtown area, a group of middle-aged men were glued to their mobile phones, watching the live broadcast of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) press conference. As the ECI announced the poll schedule for Jammu and Kashmir, set to take place from September 18 to October 1, their faces reflected cheer and even enthusiasm.
“Finally, we will get rid of this long-drawn-out Central rule and have our elected representatives”, one of them said.
The region is going to witness Assembly polls after nearly a decade during which time the political landscape has altered. The last elections were held in November 2014 when the region was still a state, with Ladakh as a part of it. On August 5, 2019, the Union government read down the special constitutional provision of J&K and split it into two Union Territories (UTs)—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Desire for change
Following the abrogation of the special constitutional position of J&K, the absence of a representative government has frustrated the common people. There has been a sense of disempowerment over the extended delay of polls. The fact that the government completed the delimitation process in 2022, which increased the number of seats from 83 to 90, and yet polls were not forthcoming only exacerbated the frustration.
A Valley-based political analyst rued that the region had been suffering under bureaucratic rule since 2018, lacking the crucial elements of answerability and accountability.
In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, people showed up in large numbers at polling stations, casting their vote without fear for the first time since militancy began in the region. The newly carved out Anantnag- Rajouri Lok Sabha seat recorded a poll percentage of 55.40 per cent, compared to a mere 8.98 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a voter turnout of 38.49 from 14.30 in 2019. The Baramulla constituency which blindsided frontrunners like former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference’s Sajad Lone by sending incarcerated leader Engineer Rashid to Parliament, recorded a voter turnout of 59.10 percent.
Senior CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami told businessline that the protracted delay in conducting elections had deepened disappointment among people in both the regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Although it’s late, we welcome the announcement”, Tarigami said.
Chief Spokesperson of the National Conference Tanvir Sadiq termed the poll announcement as a “positive development”.
“It was the longstanding demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. However, true empowerment will only be realised when the statehood is restored and people are given back what was illegally taken from them”, he added.
Youth PDP leader Waheed ur Rehman Parra said that elections were important to reclaim democratic space and self-preservation.
Row over administration rejig
A day before the ECI announced the poll schedule, the J&K administration underwent a massive administrative reshuffle. On August 15, the UT government issued the transfer orders of over 85 IAS and KAS officers, spurring a controversy.
Questioning the reshuffle, the National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar in a statement said: “It appears to have been orchestrated by a BJP-appointed LG to benefit his party and allies”.