Pro-Hindu alliance runs into trouble in Kashmir

The pro-Hindu alliance in Jammu and Kashmir has run into a major crisis with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-inspired Jammu State Morcha (front) defying big brother Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and filing nominations in some of the constituencies that the BJP had won during the 1996 state assembly polls.

Not satisfied with the pie the BJP offered to the Morcha, its candidates have filed their nominations from Jammu east and west constituencies, much to the embarrassment to the BJP.

The process to file nominations for the first of the four-phased state polls ended on Thursday. In case the Morcha candidates do not withdraw from the fray within the stipulated time, the resultant split of votes may benefit the rival Congress party.

The state's ruling National Conference is not a force to reckon with in the Jammu region of the strife-torn state. The BJP has justified forging an alliance with the Morcha by saying that it was aimed at avoiding a split in the pro-Hindu votes.

The Morcha, which is an assortment of 19 pro-Hindu organisations, came into being with the RSS backing. RSS favours trifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the dispute that has seen India and Pakistan fight three wars and were dangerously close to outbreak of a nuclear war only recently.

The BJP, which heads the federal government, has rejected this demand, although it decided to join hands with the Morcha out of political compulsions.

Tilak Raj Sharma, a senior Morcha leader, said that they were not happy with the seats the BJP had offered them and asserted that under no circumstances their candidates would withdraw from the fray.

This is the second setback for the BJP as the Panun Kashmir, a frontal organisation of the destabilised Kashmir Pandits now living in refugee camps spread all over the country, recently announced its decision to boycott the upcoming polls to elect the new Jammu and Kashmir state legislative assembly.

Panun Kashmir has taken a stand that since none of the political parties are serious about resolving problems they are facing after being hunted out of the Kashmir Valley by the militants, they are left with no choice but to boycott elections.

Kashmiri Pandits have been demanding a minimum of four seats reserved for them in the 86-member state assembly, which did not find favour with any political party.

The Election Commission, however, agreed to set up polling booths for them in various cities of the country to enable them to use their right to franchise as registered voters of the state.

Both these developments, expectedly, has put the BJP under pressure. With eight legislators, mainly from the Jammu region, the party was the largest opposition in the outgoing state assembly.

However, the adamant stand taken by the Morcha and Panun Kashmir has begun to cast doubts on whether the BJP will be able to win as many seats, since the Congress party is on the verge of revival in the state.

The move to appoint Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was a senior national general secretary of the party, as the new state unit president some time back is promising to pay rich dividends.

Azad, who was initially unhappy with his shifting, has decided not to contest the polls himself and instead concentrate on campaigning extensively.

Congress party circles say that in case the party is able to form the next government, Azad will be their chief ministerial candidate.

Since, despite best efforts of the federal government and the Election Commission, the overall voting percentage in the stage is expected to remain low due to threat from the militants who are against any democratic process, experts say every vote will count this time.

The BJP, which had emerged as champions of the minority Hindus in the state, stands to lose the maximum in case the Panun Kashmir sticks to its decision to boycott polls and the Morcha does not fall in line soon.

BJP sources said their senior central leaders are in touch with both the Morcha leaders as well as senior functionaries of the RSS to resolve the crisis amicably so that the Congress party and the National Conference do not thrive on the split in Hindu votes.