On Saturday afternoon, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood behind a lectern featuring a cut-out of BJP’s lotus symbol in Jammu and Kashmir’s Chenab Valley’s Doda district, he greeted the gathering in the Sarazi language and said, “Namaskar, Tu sab kae chet, Auru kiv hall chaal cho” (Are you fine? and how are you?). The crowd responded to the Prime Minster’s greeting with enthusiastic cheers.
It was the first visit of a Prime Minister to the district since Indira Gandhi’s visit in 1979.
Addressing a capacity election rally, PM Modi made traditional political parties the target of its barbs for promoting dynastic politics.
He said that after independence Jammu and Kashmir have remained a target of foreign powers. “And then this dynastic rule (parivarvad) began to hollow out this beautiful state”, said the Prime Minister.
He said the political parties that people trusted never showed concern for their children.
“And this time the elections are going to decide the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir”, he said.
Doda, which is one of the 3 districts in the Chinab Valley situated in the western part of Jammu division, is set to go to polls on September 18. In 2022, the Delimitation Commission remapped the poll constituencies and increased the number of seats from 6 to 8 in the region. Two new seats--Doda West and Paddar-Nagseni--were delineated from the Doda and Kishtwar districts.
The Prime Minister said that this time the Assembly elections of Jammu and Kashmir were between the three families and youth. “On one side there are three parties, and on the other side are my sons and daughters of Jammu and Kashmir, carrying their dreams”, PM Modi added.
He said what NC, PDP and Congress had done to the people was nothing short of a sin and blamed these parties for promoting separatism and terrorism in the region to keep their shops running.
He, however, said that terrorism is near its end, and is “counting its last days.”
PM Modi said that BJP is committed to make J&K terror-free and a heaven for tourists.
The Prime Minister said that political dynasties did not allow the young generation to advance, and post-2014, he made efforts to ensure that youth would come forward.
Upgrading the regional parties for failing to conduct the local elections, Modi said that the Panchayat elections have not been held in the region since 2000. “It was the BJP that took democracy to the grassroots level”, he added.
The Prime Minister urged the electorate to choose between BJP’s Sankalp Patra and other parties’ manifestos, calling for the restoration of article 370 and rollback of reservations to Pahari, Gujjars and Bakerwal.
A high stake election for BJP
Political analysts in J&K believe that the upcoming Assembly elections are high-stakes elections for the BJP.
They opine that over the past five years, the Modi-led BJP government weaved new narratives and perceptions around Naya Kashmir, and BJP’s electoral defeat will offer the opposition an opportunity to form an anti-BJP narrative at a national level.
“It is because of these high stakes, all top BJP leaders are visiting Jammu and Kashmir and addressing the poll rallies”, said a political analyst.