When the BJP government threw down the gauntlet in Kashmir, it was expected to go unchallenged. But the Political Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, an amalgam of different parties seeking restoration of Article 370 had different ideas.
On November 7, the alliance바카라which includes the Peoples Democratic Party, National Conference, People바카라s Conference and CPI(M) along with the Congress바카라announced its decision to contest the district development council polls scheduled for December. The council polls are being held for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, which was stripped of its special status in August last year and the state bifurcated into two Union territories.
The poll announcement has left hardliners within the alliance바카라which is led by NC leader and former CM Farooq Abdullah바카라angry. Party spokesperson Ruhullah Mehdi argues that the alliance fell into the trap laid by the government. 바카라To win a war, battles are sometimes deliberately lost,바카라 he says, pointing out that boycotting the polls would have sent the message to the Centre that the alliance is driven by its larger objective of restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A. Many analysts believe that participating in the elections would 바카라normalise바카라 the situation.
The practice of poll boycott had been widely popularised by senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who argues that participation justified a system that is 바카라oppressive and doesn바카라t want resolution of Kashmir according to the UN resolutions바카라. Over the years, the people too heeded the poll boycott calls of separatists.
Alliance spokesperson Sajad Gani Lone says the Gupkar partners decided to fight the local elections unitedly as it felt 바카라it is important that this sacred space in democracy is not allowed to be invaded and marauded by divisive forces바카라.
PDP leader Naeem Akhtar says a landslide win for the combination will be an appropriate response to the BJP, about the disapproval by the stakeholders, the people of J&K. 바카라We have to rise above partisan feelings unlike the BJP,바카라 Akhtar says. Many in the alliance argue that poll boycott was not an option and it would have been a disaster for political parties. 바카라We are not a separatist political entity. We believe in the electoral process and why should we remain away from it?바카라 questions a senior leader of the alliance.
By Naseer Ganai in Srinagar
