JAMMU: As the day for first round of legislative assembly elections draws near, interesting political developments are shaping up in the Kashmir valley. Veteran Taj Mohiuddin, a former Congress minister and two time legislator, has entered the fray as an independent from Uri assembly segment in Baramulla district. Taj was with Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) till some days ago.
On September 9, Taj revealed that he is contesting the upcoming assembly elections as an independent with the support of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). A senior PDP leader from neighbouring assembly segment of Baramullah met Taj and conveyed to him that party president Mehbooba Mufti has pledged support to his candidature.
The PDP has also promised to withdraw its candidate from the Uri assembly segment so that its cadres can work wholeheartedly for Taj. After the meeting, Taj expressed gratitude to Mehbooba saying she was like a daughter to him and it was an honour to get her support.
Taj stressed that the electoral campaigns of several independent candidates was gathering momentum in Kashmir. He said he was getting support from some other political parties too, besides PDP.
Taj said that at least eight independent candidates have joined hands with the members pledging support to one another in the forthcoming election. Incidentally, the Jamaat e Islami (JeI) has also put up its candidates in the fray. They too are contesting as independents as JeI is a banned organisation in Jammu & Kashmir as it often called for election boycotts and promoted separatist politics.
In the recent past, around the Lok Sabha elections some months ago, some senior JeI leaders had said that they will take part in the elections if the ban on their organisation was lifted. However, the Centre has not lifted the ban on them forcing them to enter the fray as independent candidates.
Historically, JeI has opposed the NC of Abdullahs, right from the days of its founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. This opposition to NC, which had for long remained the predominant political party in Kashmir, translated into supporting the Congress at times. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba have been able to get JeI support often.
At least eight independents have come together to strengthen each other’s campaigns. Our alliance of independent candidates will play a critical role in government formation, especially if a single party failed to secure a clear majority, Taj has said in some interviews to Kashmir-based media organisations.
More independent candidates may join the bloc and this could further make for many tight contests with very narrow victory margins. This may propel winning independent candidates as a decisive force, something that had happened in 2002 assembly elections.
Another interesting development in the Baramullah district is the entry of PDP founder Muzaffar Hussein Beigh. His wife, presently District Development Committee Chairperson Safina Beigh said that her husband was not initially interested in contesting the election. However, the people of Baramulla urged him to run as an independent candidate and this resulted into his entering the electoral arena. Beigh was Deputy Chief Minister during Ghulam Nabi Azad’s tenure as Chief Minister.
Beigh was in Parliament also as a PDP representative but his terms with Mehbooba sored as she ignored him in most decision-making after her father’s death. Safina was the women’s wing president in PDP and the husband-wife duo were very important cogs in the PDP at one time.
“Beigh Sahab was not interested in contesting the polls, but the people of Baramulla persuaded him to fight in the upcoming assembly elections. The people of Baramulla have given him a mandate to contest, and I am confident they won’t betray him,” Safina has said.
She highlighted that her husband has contributed significantly to the development of Baramulla. “This is why the people of Baramulla wanted him to represent them in the assembly and pressured him to contest,” she added.
Safina also clarified that her husband had differences with the PDP but has not completely severed ties with them. She further called on Omar Abdullah to clarify the National Conference’s (NC) policy on Kashmir. “During the DDC polls, Omar told people that the Sarpanches would bring back Article 370. Now they are saying that legislators will restore Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. NC should provide a clear policy to the people,” she said.
Safina welcomed the participation of JeI members as independent candidates, something Mehbooba had also done some days ago. The NC is wary of the JeI participation as the two parties have always opposed one another.
