From devil into the deep sea!
Proposing a highest respect to people who resolutely boycotted the election process and with due regards to those who opted to vote against all odds, election 2014 in Kashmir proved unique in many ways. Apart from number of voters who exercised their franchise, the present election after a pretty long period was free and fair with no major incident of coercion. The most dramatic part of this election was that a political party that dominated Kashmir politics for decades as virtual fiefdom of a dynasty got trounced to the extent that at present it stands almost decimated from the political scene. Interestingly, another political party emerged vibrantly, filled the political void and now stands taller on the Centre stage of Kashmir politics. The electorates who dared to exercise their franchise gave vent to their anger and passed on the political baton to a political entity they considered to be a lesser evil. Thus, Kashmir politics entered into a political transition where people out of proverbial strategy preferred deep sea of politics over the political devil.
Omar Abdullah very rightly attributed loss of political ground by his party to tragic Afzal Guru episode and 2010 violence, but these were not the only reasons behind excruciating defeat faced by the National Conference-NC along with its ally Indian National Congress-INC at the hands of fuming voters. Arrogance, nepotism mismanagement, patronage to the corrupt and exploitative elements and menacing levels of sycophancy within the whole administrative setup along with adhocracy made the voters to think for an alternative. And to their best judgment they found an alternative, rather an only alternative within People’s Democratic Party-PDP. People’s anger and anti-incumbency played a vital role in trouncing the Abdullahs and their party. And most shocking setback to Sheikh Dynasty and their party was the defeat of party patron Dr. Farooq Abdullah, giving a big blow to his political career of more than three decade.
As expected, after humiliating drubbing both National Conference and Indian National Congress leaders are now blaming each other for the catastrophe and this situation of unrelenting face-off is pushing the coalition slowly but steadily to the threshold of disintegration. After assembly elections from the day one the political alliance of NC and INC was never sincere and this proved right in the present election. PDP shrewdly took advantage of this unholy alliance laden with distrust and intrigue and exploited it to the hilt along with failures of the coalition government. NC instead of convincing people about their achievements and developmental work resorted to rhetorical propaganda of hidden alliance between PDP and the team Modi that could not cut any ice at the vitiated political scene of Kashmir. The problem with Omar Abdullah and his team is that they are not well connected with the masses, instead, a band of shrewd but opportunistic sycophants provide a sugar coated feedback that suits to their own nefarious interested. This situation of estrangement made the top NC leadership haughtier and with every passing day they got unknowingly isolated from the masses. Long cavalcades of shining expensive vehicles, piercing sirens, flashing bacon lights along with heavy and pompous security arrangement made a lethal combination creating an atmosphere of tyrannical rule in this contemporary era of much cherished empowerment.
PDP has to tread a tight rope where they not only have to retain the existing trust of people but try to increase it by negating the incorrect policies of NC, INC coalition and providing a free and fair political and administrative situation conducive to good and people’s friendly governance.
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