From taboo to politics: BJP woos highly qualified women in Kashmir despite electoral setback

Srinagar, Aug 09: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have failed to open its account in the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, but it has scored an unexpected gain in another arena — attracting a significant number of women, many of them highly qualified professionals, into its fold.Data accessed by Rising Kashmir reveals that over the past over a year, 35 women with postgraduate and professional degrees have joined the party in the valley. In total, between 250 and 300 women have signed up since the beginning of 2024, defying the electoral setback the party suffered when the lotus failed to bloom in Kashmir. BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul said the influx marks a breaking of social barriers. “Women’s empowerment is essential, and Kashmiri women have broken the taboo by joining the BJP in large numbers over the past two years,” he said.He added, “This year, we saw women with Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees joining us. They are inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for women and schemes like Lakhpati Didi, Naari Shakti, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Laadli Beti.”Koul believes their participation will reshape local politics. “The future belongs to the BJP and these women will bring a revolution in Kashmir’s political landscape,” he said. Among the new recruits is Sabha Bhat, a postgraduate in Anaesthesiology from Srinagar, who also oversees Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and NGOs.  “After much thought, I decided the BJP is the best alternative. I have seen how other parties functioned in Kashmir, especially Srinagar,” Bhat said. “I was inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision for women and the BJP’s mission to serve society. Women will play a major role in shaping Kashmir’s future politics.”Nazima Bakaal, a graduate from downtown Srinagar who runs a boutique and salon, cited improved peace and security as her motivation. “Downtown is now one of the most peaceful areas of Kashmir, and credit goes to the BJP,” she said. “I was inspired by the triple talaq reform, women’s reservation, and the party’s focus on empowerment. Today, I move freely without security — what else does one need?” The trend extends beyond the city. Lubna, another Srinagar resident, said politics as a career for women was “impossible before 2019”.  “The BJP is the best platform to grow and to serve,” she said. In north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Muneera Begum is working with SHGs to teach women skills for a dignified livelihood.  “We are ensuring women’s empowerment at the grassroots level. The BJP is the right platform to achieve that,” she said.While electoral victories remain elusive for the party in the Kashmir region, the BJP’s growing cadre of educated women signals a potential shift in the valley’s political dynamics — one that may not be immediately visible at the ballot box, but could shape the region’s politics in the years ahead.