Waiting for the Verdict in J & K

Now that the electoral process will be over today for the constitution of the Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir. People have done their democratic duty and exercised their right to franchise. The three phases of electoral process have witnessed by and large tremendous participation of the voters. In these elections there have been multiple narratives that were used to woo the voters. These elections were held almost after a decade. This had caused a simmering of different forms among the political players for different reasons. If the mainstream parties called the absence of Assembly as a delaying process for democracy then the political groups that play their politics away from the mainstream wanted a foothold to assert their narrative through the democratic process. The reason being that there has been a lull of a kind in terms of terrorist violence in the valley. As there have been efforts at the level of the security establishments to choke the subversive space in the valley from quite some time now. It enabled the common masses to assert their will for peace. Though it shifted the theatre of war to the other side of the Pir Panjal in Jammu leading to continuous attacks on the security forces by the terror modules. To an extent the subversives too wanted a political space to keep them relevant. Due to the choked space to operate they sought a political outlet. Reducing the on ground presence of the terror outfits had led their ideological patrons to seek alternative outlets. So both the mainstream parties and the secessionists groups by proxy have tried their fate in these elections. If this democratic space can enable them to use this space to do their politics for development then it will be a different story. The fingers are crossed. Kashmir valley has witnessed by and large the same variety of political participation when Muslim United Front (MUF) contested the elections. It is an open secret how the mismanagement of those elections in 1987 became a game changer and led to the subversion in Jammu and Kashmir. Not only that these elections will definitely give different verdict from both Jammu and Kashmir regions but it will pose a new situation in terms of election outcome. There has been tremendous change in Jammu and Kashmir in terms of polity and demography that will certainly be reflected in the outcomes. What can’t be ignored are the silent voters who can be game changers. As these voters don’t wear their preferences on their sleeves but play their cards decisively. There is one class of voter that gets wooed by the election campaigns of the political stalwarts but then there is a class of voters who are ideologically committed and are equipped to swing the political balance. There is no doubt about the fate that these elections are being held after the neutralisation of Article 370 and 35 A. This too has led to demarcation of the political players in both Jammu and Kashmir. The parties that are called mainstream in Kashmir and the groups that go beyond the politically stated position of accession of J and K to India are united in their narrative for the restoration of Article 370 and 35 A. This thins the line between the political mainstream and the anti-accession groups. This election verdict will also be watched in terms of the interpretation of their political message to the electorate and how the people might have responded to that? The verdict of the Assembly Elections this time will be quite interesting to watch in Jammu and Kashmir. After all political undercurrents are always diametrically opposite to the political propaganda and political expediency.