Mercury down, political tempers up in Valley

Bismah Malik

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 22

The results of the Assembly elections are being eagerly awaited by not only the contestants, but people in the Valley as well. They turned up in good numbers to register a voter turnout which was 5 per cent higher than that in the 2008 Assembly elections.

People in the Valley have been keeping a close watch on exit polls for last few days now and have been engaged in heated debates as political temperatures soar in the Valley in winter.

Irrespective of their individual choice of the political party, people from various age groups are unequivocally looking forward to a stable government which can take the state out from the shackles of poverty and corruption.

Mueeza Shafi, a banker in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, said she was hoping for a single party to come to power because she thought that coalition governments had not been effective in the state. She voted for the first time.

“Past experiences show that coalition governments do not work here. The PDP-Congress alliance broke halfway through. The NC-Congress alliance ended on a bitter note. Any state party should get a majority like the BJP at the Centre,” she said.

People here had their fingers crossed as political pundits had been forecasting a week of hectic political engagements between various stakeholders on government formation.

Ghulam Mohammad, a businessman in Srinagar, said it was imperative to look out for the party forming the next government as it usually determined the course state would take in the next six years.

“A common man cannot afford to stay away from political developments because government formation affects all of us. The Valley had gone through the toughest time recently. We expect the new government to address the issues,” he said.

Although political pundits had predicted a change of guard in the state, some opined that any change would do good only if political parties which formed the government delivered.

“Many youths decided to vote because they were disappointed with the previous government’s performance. If the PDP or the BJP comes to power, it does not guarantee that they will fare better in terms of solving issues,” said Akhter Hussain, a researcher from Budgam district.