Parties in Catch-22 situation over govt formation

Parties were engaged in race to outscore each other in polls

 As the stalemate continued in Jammu and Kashmir over government formation in the backdrop of fractured mandate, all the four political parties — the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — are caught in a Catch-22 situation.

The four parties, which swear by ideologies that keeps them poles apart, were engaged in a race in the run-up to the Assembly polls to outscore each other and pinpoint “wrongdoings” of others. The poll campaign saw their leaders attacking each other to score points which is now becoming an impediment for all of them to think over any sort of alliance.

Prof Gul Muhammad Wani, who teaches political science at the Kashmir University, said the PDP and BJP, which emerged as first and the second largest parties after elections, are ideologically poles apart.  While the BJP won all of its 25 seats from Hindu-dominated Jammu region, the PDP won all but two of 28 seats from Muslim-dominated Kashmir region.

The NC and Congress, who ruled the state for past six years, won 15 and 12 seats respectively. “PDP’s self-rule formula for resolving Kashmir, its stand on Indo-Pak dialogue process and cross-LoC trade stands completely opposite to the ideology the BJP stands for,” Prof Wani said.  Similarly, he said, the BJP has an ideology that is fundamentally shaped by Kashmir imagination.

  “Its (BJP’s) project of nation building is partially rooted in Kashmir project which is politics of assimilation and Indianisation, constitutional and political integration of Kashmir,” he added.

Valley’s renowned journalist and political analyst Zahir-ur-Din said issues like rotational CM and differences in ideology of PDP and NC with BJP was an impediment in the formation of new government. “NC’s view that autonomy is the only viable solution to Kashmir issue may not go well with the BJP.

Similarly, during his tenure, the outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vociferously talked about the dialogue between India and Pakistan as the only solution and then there is NC’s stand on AFSPA. These are completely in contrast to the BJP’s ideology,” he told Deccan Herald.