J&K Assembly elections: Elusive quest for clarity

Politics is hotting up in UT with SC's deadline for holding the polls drawing closer, but recent terror attacks and chances of an early winter may put a spanner in the works

- MERAJ BHAT

As the Supreme Court's September 30 deadline looms, the prolonged ambiguity surrounding the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls appears dissipating fast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion in Srinagar on Yoga Day that election preparations had commenced was bolstered by the Election Commission's subsequent order to revise electoral rolls. The electoral body is yet to announce the polling date.

The recent Lok Sabha poll results were on expected lines in J&K. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held its sway in the Jammu region, winning the Udhampur and Jammu seats, while the National Conference (NC) secured two of the three constituencies in Kashmir.

These results underscored a persistent political reality: No single party enjoys widespread support across both regions. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP won 25 of the 37 seats in Jammu but failed to open its account in Kashmir and Ladakh. Conversely, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the NC dominated in Kashmir, winning 28 and 15 seats, respectively.