Omar Abdullah's 'grand alliance' is
vindicated in council poll
Saturday December 08, 2012 10:14:49 PM,
Sheikh Qayoom,
IANS
|
|
|
|
Srinagar:
The clean sweep by the ruling National Conference (NC)-Congress
alliance, which won the polls for all the four legislative council
seats Wednesday, has dispelled the notion that the alliance's
popularity had not percolated to the grassroots in Jammu and
Kashmir.
The ruling allies, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, jointly
fought the elections, at which more than 90 percent of the 33,540
sarpanches and panches came out to vote despite a boycott call by
separatists. A total of 96 percent village heads and council
members voted Dec 3 to send representatives to the upper house of
the state's bicameral legislature. These electons drew wide
attention as they were being held after 38 years with militant
organisations and separatist leaders calling for a poll boycott
year after year.
.
The opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) fielded candidates
for all four seats - two from the Jammu region and two from the
Valley. The NC and the Congress fielded one candidate each from
Jammu and the Valley. The electorate for the council polls
comprised 33,540 elected panches and sarpanches, with 15,628 in
Jammu region and 17,912 in the Kashmir Valley.
The common belief in political circles before the election results
were announced was that the NC-Congress coalition in reality is an
alliance between the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Abdullahs. Thus
not many in Jammu and Kashmir believed that the alliance had
percolated to the grassroots level. The internal bickering between
some NC and Congress leaders lent credence to the belief.
In such a scenario, not many thought that the sarpanches and
panches of the NC would vote for the Congress and vice versa.
About 170 sarpanches and panches of Kargil district voted for the
Congress but not for the NC as they did not cast their second
vote.
Notwithstanding this aberration, the complete synergy between the
NC and the Congress resulted in the victory of all the four
candidates fielded by the alliance.
When Omar Abdullah spoke of a grand alliance between the NC and
the Congress for the 2014 state assembly elections last month,
some Congress leaders had labelled this premature.
The thrill of victory will last for long for the two parties. The
decision to fight the council elections jointly has created a huge
constituency within the NC and the Congress which now supports the
prospect of the alliance jointly fighting the 2014 elections.
Despite having won the majority of its assembly seats from the
south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian
in the 2008 elections, the PDP has not performed as expected in
its perceived strong bastions. The PDP finished second after the
NC-Congress in the elections, while the BJP was pushed to the
third position by the PDP.
The good news for the PDP is that in the Jammu region, the party
has made significant inroads. However, it has failed to register
any noticeable presence in Leh and Kargil.
PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar conceded defeat, but said it did not
contain any message for 2014. He also tried to offer reasons for
the coalition's victory.
Abdullah has cautioned the NC cadre against complacency. "Your
real test would be the 2014 elections," he told a celebration
rally of party workers in Jammu.
The chief irritant who could still upset the coalition applecart
by his volatile statements against the Congress is none other than
Abdullah's uncle and senior NC leader Mustafa Kamal. When the
coalition partners were celebrating the victory Wednesday, the
vernacular press again carried a statement by Kamal criticising
the Congress.
Of the 36 seats in the state legislative council, six (four from
panchayat quota and two from local bodies) were lying vacant since
the last panchayat polls in 2011.
(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)
|
Home |
Top of the Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
I |
|
|
More Headlines |
10 BJP ministers, 50 legislators support me:
Yeddyurappa |
Parties battle over who their opposition is! |
Rashtrapati Bhawan offers internship to
journalism graduates |
With parliament victory, UPA on firmer wicket |
Indian batting line up collapse, England
close to second straight win |
Unification of India, Pakistan must to solve Kashmir issue: Katju |
Karnataka minister sacked, MP suspended for supporting Yeddyurappa |
Hamas leader makes historic visit to Gaza |
Avoid breast cancer with fruits, vegetables |
US, industry giants differ with UN over
Internet control |
|
Top Stories |
Unification
of India, Pakistan must to solve Kashmir issue: Katju
Addressing a seminar on "Reporting conflict zones", organized by
the India Chapter of South Asia Media Commission, Katju said: "Now
the time has come for India and
»
Clairvoyance or Hope? Youth predicts end to Kashmir sufferings
Anguish
of Kashmiri People: Are we listening?
|
|
Most Read |
10 BJP ministers, 50 legislators support me:
Yeddyurappa
Former BJP Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Saturday
asserted that around 10 BJP ministers
»
Karnataka minister sacked, MP suspended
|
Parties battle over who their opposition is!
With the Karnataka assembly polls less than six months away,
political parties in the state are busy deciding who will be their
main opposition at the hustings!
The dubious distinction for creating this somewhat bizarre
situation goes to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The party
made a hash of handling the rebellion, first of the moneyed
»
|
|
News Pick |

India reaffirms unwavering support to Palestine
India Thursday reaffirmed its unwavering support to the people of
Palestine and reiterated its belief that a just, comprehensive and
»
|
Magnitude 7.3 quake jolts Japan, tsunami
warning lifted
An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale Friday jolted the
east coast of Honshu island, leading to a tsunami warning for the
coastal areas which was later lifted in Miyagi prefecture, Xinhua
reported. The quake »
|
Drugs, chillums, phones, condoms in a Goa
prison!
Drugs,
chillums, mobile phones, fancy razors, exotic condoms... No it's
not the flea market we are talking about. Welcome to the standard
fare in Goa's oldest and most secure - the Aguada Central Jail. »
|
Akbarabadi mosque case: ASI gets more time to
conduct survey
The Delhi
High Court Friday granted more time to the Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) to file its report on its probe to ascertain if any
Mughal-era mosque structure existed near Subhash Park
»
|
|
Picture of the Day |
 |
Tri Service Chiefs paying homage
at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate on the occasion of Navy Day in
New Delhi on December 04, 2012. |
|
Recommend the story to
your friends |
|
|
|
|
|