Battle Lines Drawn Amidst Divergent Political Agendas

Srinagar,: Long buffeted by the winds of conflict, Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for a general election that will be the first significant political activity after the revocation of its special status in 2019 and is characterised by contrasting political narratives and agendas.

At stake are five Lok Sabha seats -- Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag in Kashmir Valley that are with the National Conference (NC), and Jammu and Udhampur in Jammu represented in the House by the BJP. Ladakh, which was carved out as a separate union territory after reorganisation of the state on

August 19, 2019, is also with the BJP.

Discussing the critical question of when assembly elections will be held, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said in Delhi on Saturday they will take place after the Lok Sabha polls. Organising both simultaneously is not viable from the security point of view, he said.

Regional parties National Conference and the PDP, both members of the INDIA bloc, are expected to push for the restoration of Article 370 to underscore their fight for autonomy for the region as campaigning hots up. The BJP, which has pushed the abrogation of Article 370 as amongst its big achievements, will be stressing on the surge in tourists, the infusion of investments in the union territory and its commitment to eradicating terrorism.

Also in the mix is the Congress, which unlike the others, lacks a clear strategy to navigate the complex political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. The absence of a cohesive narrative might prove to be a significant obstacle for the party in the upcoming elections.