NEW DELHI: The government is prepared to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir before December IS and is eagerly awaiting the Outcome of the current assessment mission of the Election Commissioner, M.S. Gill, to the state.
Lest its case go by default, the Congress has flown its state unit president, Ghulam Rasool Kar, from here to Srinagar to unequivocally inform Gill about the party’s willingness to take the electoral plunge, That apart, the government is keeping intact all preparations it had made forts original plans to hold the polls in July. There is marked presence of Chandigarh registered bulletproof vehicles in the Kashmir valley for political leaders to carry out their campaign.
Gill is scheduled to return, here, a fireman on the spot study of the situation in the state and discussions with a cross-section of political leaders. There is not much change in the political scenario in the Valley except that the Congress is more keen than before to participate in the elections. The Congress is encouraged by the response to the public meetings addressed by Kar in Chandusa and
Bandipor areas in the Valley, as well as the legislators” hostel in Srinagar. Tis calculation Is that it will be able to make a success of the electoral exercise with the help of the Gujjar community and a little participation of the Kashmiris. ‘The government’s enthusiasm about holding the polls is amazing considering that the other pro New Delhi political parties in the Valley do not share cither its or the Congress’ vision, The Congress itself is split in the middle. In his public meetings, Kar was not accompanied by his two senior colleagues, Main Bashir and Moulvi fftikhar Hussain Ansari, who live in the Valley, Both the Mian and ‘Ansari are gunning forthe removal of Kar. Mian Bashltis, in fact, the dissidents” choice as the PCC president. Three senior parly functionaries belonging to the Jammu region Rajendra Singh Chib, Madan Lal Shiarma and. Yogesh Sawhney recently undertook publiccontact exercises in the Valley without taking Kar into confidence: All three belong to the dissidents’ camp. The Kar faction is banking on militant leaders who have come over ground and taken on the constituents of the Hurriyat Conference, a conglomeration of traditional opposition parties of the Val: ley. ‘The participation of the National Conference, which is considered necessary to lend some legitimacy to the electoral exercise remains uncertain in view of its precondition for a categorical assurance by the Central government about the restoration of the pre=1953 dispensation in the State. In a sarcastic comment on the government’s moves, atop NC leader remarked that it was swayed by ie “Kar wave.”
The NC chief, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, is expected to return here any time now from another long stint abroad. His presence may give lend) some clarity to his party’s stance. Strictly viewed from the purpose of polls, a new dimension has been added in the Valley with the decision of Rafiq Sadiq, a senior Congress functionary, to join the Arjun Singh” group. This gives Sadiq the se maneuvering in local politics and build bridges with a cross-section of the people, including those who are pertly opposed to the election ‘The government’s earlier plans to hold the elections in July had gone: haywire with the devastation of the holy Chrar-e-Sharief shrine. Such instances are not ruled out in the near future but the government appears veering round to the view that it must go ahead with the polls as these may result in a breakthrough in the current it stalemate. The Hurriyat Conference will stay away from the elections. It is taking is battle to international fora.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 6, 1995
