Srinagar: When the Election Commission of India (ECI) was on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week, it assured state political parties of keeping their “sentiments” in mind about having an elected government in the state, which is presently under President’s rule.During their meeting with the ECI team on March 4 and 5 – both in Srinagar and Jammu – all political parties had pitched for holding parliament and assembly polls simultaneously in the state.However, late on Sunday evening, when the election body announced the schedule for Lok Sabha polls, there was no mention of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, signifying that the exercise had been further delayed.The deferment has left the state’s parties fuming, and they have all come out to criticise the move. While some called it a “murder of democracy”, others saw it as a “ploy to subvert constitutionally guaranteed exercise”.“How else will you describe it?” asked state Congress chief G.A. Mir.“It [deferment of assembly polls] is the murder of democracy,” he continued. “You are denying people the right to choose their own government. This is aimed at subverting democracy.”Also read: Do We Really Care for Kashmir or Just the Idea of It as a Part of India?J&K has been without an elected government for nine months – since after the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP in June and brought down the government led by Mehbooba Mufti.Subsequently, the state came under Governor’s rule for six months till December 2018. Since then, it has been under President’s rule.‘Surrender to Pakistan, militants and Hurriyat’National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said the deferment of elections has shown how badly the BJP-led government at the Centre has mishandled J&K.He then launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.“PM Modi has surrendered to Pakistan, to the militants and to the Hurriyat. Well done Modi Sahab. 56 inch chest failed. #slowclap,” he tweeted. Abdullah has been at the forefront of the demand for early assembly polls in the state.In a series of tweets, Abdullah, the former chief minister, also reminded Union home minister Rajnath Singh’s of his “assurance” to the Lok Sabah and Rajya Sabha – when parliament was in session – and to members of an all-party meeting in New Delhi of making available all resources to conduct polls simultaneously.What happened to @rajnathsingh’s assurance to Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha as well as to the all party meeting recently in Delhi that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls?— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019Continuing with the attack, Abdullah said the state of Kashmir was the true symbol of the prime minister’s handling of national security.Balakote & Uri are not symbols of PM Modi’s handling of national security, J&K is and look at the mess he has made there. The abject surrender to anti-India forces is a crying shame.— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019Claims and counterclaimsBarely an hour after the ECI’s announcement of Lok Sabha polls, state chief electoral officer Shailendra Kumar said the election body had decided not to hold state polls along with parliamentary elections due to “security reasons”.“Unlike the parliament elections, the assembly elections require more security set up and the present situation does not favour holding of polls simultaneously,” Kumar told reporters in Jammu.He further explained that Jammu and Kashmir has 87 assembly constituencies, and roughly there would be around 900 contesting candidates in the fray during assembly polls. For the Lok Sabha polls, on the other hand, the maximum number of candidates would be 60.“The total number of candidates will go up to around 1000. They all have to be provided security, especially in Kashmir for campaigning and moving around…some subversive activities have also been reported from Jammu. All these factors have to be considered,” Kumar said.Also read: New Delhi’s Muscular Approach to Kashmir Reflects Its Policy ParalysisHe then talked about “specific reason” given by the state government and Union home ministry to the ECI which might have been behind the decision to delay the exercise. “We must respect the wisdom of the commission (ECI) on whatever decision it has taken,” he insisted.However, the state parties picked holes in the argument. “They [the election authorities] are citing recent incidents of violence in Kashmir as the reason for not holding assembly polls. If that is true, then how could the Lok Sabha polls be held?” asked leftist leader M.Y. Tarigami.“These arguments by the election body are self-contradictory. Both the things can’t be right at the same time,” he added.The road aheadThis is for the first time since 1996 that timely assembly elections are not being held. Though the ECI has still some time left till May 19 – when six months of Presidential rule ends in J&K – to go to polls, it is highly unlikely that the exercise will be held by then.In that case, the government of India would need to take parliament’s nod for extending the President’s rule beyond six months. Already, the ongoing President’s rule in the state has been the second longest since the 90s.On January 19, 1990, Jammu and Kashmir had come under President’s rule for six years and 264 days, the longest ever, after the eruption of militancy and a complete breakdown of law and order situation.“It is very dangerous to keep the state in the hands of unelected representatives of the Centre as it will further complicate the problems in the state,” PDP president Mehbooba said, slamming the ECI’s decision to defer assembly polls in J&K.Also a former chief minister, Mehbooba cautioned that delaying the assembly polls was tantamount to denying the basic right of people of the state to have a chosen government. “It sows the seeds of suspicion among people about designs of government of India and doesn’t convey a good message to people about an independent institution like the Election Commission,” she said, demanding an “immediate review” of the ECI’s move not to hold state polls in J&K along with LS polls.
