Poll rolls being made, political activity picks up in Kashmir Valley

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, July 29

Jammu and Kashmir has been seeing political activity in recent days as the new political entity, Apni Party, started public outreach soon after Election Commission announced dates for publishing electoral rolls.

Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari is holding public rallies across Kashmir and drawing crowds to showcase his political strength even as the two major political forces -– National Conference and PDP –- are lying low, thinking the Assembly poll won’t happen until next year.

After the abrogation of Article 370, the top leaders of the PDP, which was a coalition partner of the BJP in the J&K Government until 2018, joined the Apni Party.

Before 2019, they held sway over voters across Kashmir but it is to be seen whether they can draw voters to the polling booths during the upcoming Assembly elections. The Election Commission of India has set October 31 as the last date for publishing the electoral rolls of J&K.

After that, elections could happen anytime. However, the ECI may delay the elections to April due to the four-month harsh winter, starting from November, in Kashmir.

The Apni Party believes restoration of Article 370 is a fake narrative while the NC and PDP have joined hands to form the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam seeking restoration of Article 370 and statehood to J&K. “Do you believe Article 370 and Article 35-A will be restored? When you don’t believe it, then why are you listening to their (PAGD) lies,” Bukhari asked his supporters during a public meeting last week in Budgam district.

However, political commentator Badri Raina believes Kashmir is not yet a safe bet for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may prefer to drag his feet over the Assembly poll.

Apni Party leader and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir agrees with Raina that elections are nowhere in sight, but adds his party, which is being called the B-team of the BJP, is holding rallies to show how much public support it is getting.

“We didn’t get time for public outreach due to the Covid pandemic. We are being called B-team and a party without public support. But people have shown faith in us and we are showing them our strength,” Mir said.

Elections may be delayed

• The Election Commission of India has set October 31 as the last date for publishing the electoral rolls of J&K. After that, elections could happen anytime.
• However, the ECI may delay the elections to April due to the four-month harsh winter, starting from November, in Kashmir.