Kashmir heading for a powerless Assembly
In the assembly elections if and when they are held, the BJP is most likely to face a crushing defeat and they know they can never come in power in Jammu and Kashmir that’s why they are strengthening the power of the LG more as they can
While abrogating Article 370, Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised in the Parliament early elections and restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir. The restoration of statehood was put to a condition that it shall be restored soon after the situation gets back to normal.
From the very first day of the abrogation of Article 370, the government in Centre and the LG in the Union Territory is making claims that the situation is better than never before, and that everything is so peaceful. But the statehood hasn’t been restored and the elections look like a dream.
Every time, the government talks about elections, it makes it look like that Kashmir has never had elections before and for the first time something like this are going to happen. Abrogation of Article 370 is being used by the BJP to get votes but in the recent General Elections, it didn’t work. People are now fed of listening to same thing on loop, and they even expressed their anger against the current government. Nevertheless, they were able to form government while Modi is the Prime Minister for the third time.
The people of Jammu & Kashmir are eagerly waiting for Assembly elections. They want to elect a government which will have their own and local people as MLAs, so that their grievances are addressed. People have been without an elected government since 2019. Other than SMC, DDC and BDC elections, that anyway hold no power, Kashmir hasn’t seen any election to elect a government that will address their problems on larger scale. These SMC, DDC and BDC elections hold no relevance as they don’t have any jurisdiction for the creation of employment, making polices, and especially the administrative power. The elected state government has various power that these local bodies don’t have.
The DDC and BDC elections took place in Kashmir for the first time. Before Article 370 nothing like such used to exist in The Valley. The newly created council members are given protocol similar to an elected MLA. The move attracted criticism, but as we know, this government doesn’t give any importance to any criticism, especially when it comes from the Kashmir political parties.
The SMC and other municipal councils cease to exist as their tenure has come to an end but the government seems to be in no mood of conducting the elections again. We all know the elections were conducted just to present a picture what it actually isn’t. Many candidates won unopposed and some won with just total five votes casted in polling stations.
Worst, among the elected members were those whom people even weren’t aware that they even lived in their locality. Nevertheless, they were elected and they had their time and left.
Now the government has begun the process to hold state elections of the Assembly that has been stripped of all the power. The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) has more power than the Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir. The elected government in Kashmir will have no say in transfer and posting, law and order and finance relating to police. Everything will be decided by the LG by his free will. The unelected representative will have more power than the elected government. The Chief Minister will just be a person with a rubber stamp. With no say in the important affairs of the state. Once a powerful assembly will now have even less power than a municipal council.
The BJP seems to be in no mood of letting Jammu and Kashmir go out of its hands, especially the Law and Order and the State Police. They want to have full control of the State even without winning the elections, and with the District BJP President having more power than the Chief Minister.
If the Center thinks or has imagined that it will be able to control Jammu and Kashmir by misusing the power, then they are wrong. People have with a huge mandate rejected the BJP and its proxies in the valley. This indeed is a clear message that BJP must take seriously. The more they misuse power, the more they alienate people in Jammu and Kashmir. In the assembly elections if and when they are held, the BJP is most likely to face a crushing defeat and they know they can never come in power in Jammu and Kashmir that’s why they are strengthening the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and vesting more power to him.
[The write, Raqif Makhdooi, is a Human Rights Activist. The views expressed here are his own. The featured image used with this article is generated by AI.]
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