The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) strategy of supporting proxy parties in Kashmir has proven to be miscalculated as it did not deliver any positive results in the recent LS polls.
This has forced the BJP to explore alternative methods to counter mainstream, strong and independent candidates in the region.
The BJP had covertly supported smaller parties like the Apni Party led by PDP defector Altaf Bukhari, the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) led by Ghulam Nabi Azad, as well as the JK People’s Conference led by separatist-turned-politician Sajad Gani Lone.
Opposition leaders and political observers perceived these candidates as BJP proxies.
In the Baramulla constituency, Sajad Gani Lone was initially in direct contest with former chief minister Omar Abdullah.
The candidature of Engineer Rashid, currently in Tihar jail, then made it a triangular race. Observers saw Rashid’s inclusion as a strategic move to split the National Conference vote.
However, this strategy backfired, as Rashid not only drew a significant portion of Omar’s vote bank but also cut into Lone’s majority share.
Despite the BJP's open backing, these proxy parties performed poorly in their constituencies. In Anantnag, Apni Party’s Zafar Iqbal Manhas received only 13.86 per cent of the votes and DPAP’s Mohammad Saleem Paray secured just 2.49 per cent. Both lost their security deposits.
In Srinagar, Apni Party’s Mohammad Ashraf Mir garnered 9.77 per cent of the votes, while DPAP’s Amir Ahmad Bhat obtained only 2.24 per cent.
According to Election Commission rules, candidates need at least one-sixth of the total votes polled to regain their security deposit, which is Rs 25,000 for general category candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.
In Udhampur, where BJP's Jitendra Singh won against Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh, DPAP’s candidate GM Saroori received a mere 3.56% of the votes, primarily from Muslim-dominated areas like Kishtwar, Doda, and Ramban.
The poor performance of these smaller parties has led BJP insiders to suggest a potential shift in strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections.
The recent election results have not only surprised many but also served as a wake-up call for all mainstream political parties preparing for the assembly polls.
Following the abrogation of Article 370, the BJP has been trying to establish a foothold in Kashmir politics. The party will now need new strategies and more familiar actors in the valley to succeed.
It is possible that major parties in Jammu and Kashmir could lose seats to relatively unknown and independent candidates in the upcoming elections.
Given the current mood in the Kashmir valley, many individuals may be inspired to contest against mainstream political parties, particularly in light of the perceived collective failures to safeguard the region’s interest, especially after August 2019, when the Central government revoked the special status of the region.
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