BJP's Mission 44+ in Kashmir has become Mission Impossible
Hurriyat Conference leader Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat is an erudite scholar of Persian and is known for his one-liners. Long ago in his public address he described Kashmir conflict as conflict between two Brahmins. "It is fight between Saraswati Brahmins and Lakshmi Brahmins. We Kashmiris are Saraswati Brahmins and we will prevail over Lakshmi Brahmins of India," Prof Bhat had said drawing laughter from audience.
About two months ago when BJP announced its Mission 44 plus to rid the state of the "father-son (Abdullahs), son-daughter (Muftis) and long dynastic rule of Congress", regional parties took up the gauntlet.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party Patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed repeatedly stated if the BJP would come to power it would do away with the State subject laws prohibiting non-permanent residents from buying land in Jammu and Kashmir. They insisted that the BJP would change the demography of the state with 70 per cent Muslims. They argued that the party would scrap Article 370 giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian Constitution.
Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti didn't spare each other either. Abdullah accused PDP of having a tacit understanding with the BJP while Mehbooba charged NC with being hand in glove with the BJP. They didn't even spare possible allies of the BJP like Peoples Conference of Sajjad Gani Lone. Lone was lampooned, criticised and condemned by the regional political parties for meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A slogan was coined against Lone: "Modi ka jo yaar hai, gaddar hai gaddar hai."
Playing on the doubts of Kashmiris about the BJP agenda, regional political parties knew what they were doing. They created an argument against the BJP in Kashmir and Muslim regions of Jammu. They also created an argument against the BJP in Jammu.
In the Valley, protagonists of regional political parties especially the PDP tried to create fear psychosis regarding the BJP. An argument was put forth that all Kashmiri migrant pandits would vote for the BJP. Nobody realised that prominent leaders of Kashmiri pandits are either in the NC or in the PDP. Given this situation, the separatists also didn't press too intensely for the poll boycott, despite the fact that they were behind bars. The fear was that the BJP would come to power in the state and even get a few seats in the Kashmir region.In contrast, the BJP didn't talk about the revocation of Article 370. It didn't make it an issue. The party tried to reach out to Kashmiri Muslims. It said once the party was in power there would be no need of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. It even said Kashmiri Pandits were not the BJP's vote bank and that the party would get seats because the Muslims of Kashmir will vote for it.
Newspapers in the Valley were given huge advertisements during the campaign season by the BJP. The BJP posters were seen everywhere.
The BJP even owned the human rights discourse as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Srinagar rally said it was his government which forced the Army to apologise for the killing of two youths and ensured that those involved in the killings were punished.
Congress also played its cards well. In the Jammu region, Congress criticised the BJP for being silent about Article 370. Congress divided its work load. Former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad talked about development agenda of Congress in the Muslim sub-regions of Jammu and the Kashmir Valley, while Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma reiterated the call for a Hindu Chief Minister of the state and accused the BJP of dumping Jammu to woo Kashmir.
So far in four phases, people have come out to vote in droves in villages and towns in Kashmir, ostensibly for more than just bijli, sadak and pani.
They are voting to keep the BJP out of the power. Even in places where BJP candidates were not contesting people argued that they were voting to keep the BJP out of the power. Beyond water, roads and electricity, Kashmiris needed an argument to vote, and BJP's advent provided it.
However, the BJP seems satisfied that it is no longer a pariah in Kashmir as the party leaders saw Kashmiri Muslims shouting har har Modi ghar ghar modi slogans in BJP rallies.
The percentage of voting, however, has baffled even the regional parties. That is why it is expected that the results will be surprising. Those who said the National Conference would be routed, were amazed to see the crowds that thronged the rallies of chief minister and NC president Omar Abdullah. Those who said the Congress will not get any seat, now argue that Congress will not do as badly as predicted. Those who described the election as a cakewalk for the PDP in Kashmir now fear Mufti Muhammad Sayeed might lose his seat from Anantnag. And BJP's Mission 44 looks like Mission Impossible.
And those who argued that Kashmiri Pandits are all waiting to vote for the BJP, were shocked to see some sort of a boycott of the elections by the migrant pandits. In Habbakadal constituency of Srinagar, the strength of Pandit electorate was 16,710, the highest in any constituency across Kashmir. On Election Day only 2,817 Pandit voters from the constituency cast their vote out of more than 11,000 votes polled. Such was their enthusiasm.
December 20 is the last phase of the elections and results will be out on December 23. This election was unlike other elections. This time the BJP added colour to it and the regional parties and Congress did everything to make BJP an issue to capture power. This election was a mind game and it is difficult to predict who has prevailed.