BJP, PDP gain in poll results

The results of the Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand assembly polls on Tuesday have certainly given BJP a reason to rejoice.

In Jammu and Kashmir’s 87 seat assembly polls, Mehbooba Mufti led PDP emerged as the single largest party grabbing 28 seats in the valley. The BJP came second with 25 seats in Jammu and a simple majority in Jharkhand but failed to make an impact in regions outside its territory despite a vigorous and extensive campaigning in the region. Both the parties have competed neck to neck to emerge in the race for emerging as the single largest party in the state. The National Conference on the other hand got 20.8 percent while the Congress, who contested alone without the NC, was at number four position. The Chief Minister and National Conference president Omar Abdullah won in Beerwah but lost his seat in Sonawar. With no party getting a clear majority, Jammu and Kashmir holds the possibility of all kinds of combinations to form a new government. Mehbooba Mufti said in a statement that the party was willing to form an alliance with any other party that shares the same agenda. The statement also said that the BJP has more priority than the Congress. Uncertainty remains of who would be forming a government in Jammu and Kashmir- whether the region would see an alliance of the National Conference and the BJP or a PDP government is yet to be seen.

The Congress received another blow when their partner in government the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) ruling the state gained 17 seats. The BJP had emerged victorious with 42 seats out of 81 in Jharkhand. Even though it had failed to attain the valley the party is still going strong in Jammu. The NCP and the Congress infightings in Maharashtra have also favoured BJP much. The political infightings and the corruption blighted government are seen as the major reasons for the party’s triumph in the Assembly elections.

The BJP doesn’t have a strong base in the Muslim dominated Kashmir valley; but it had strived hard to find a footing in the region through the election campaigns and had deployed strategies that would help achieve its target. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar with its hardline views have been carrying out its agendas or ‘saffronisation’ of the country aiming to convert it into another ‘Hindutwa’ nation. The attempts has been in full swing since Modi assumed office in the May national elections. The Modi government strongly backing the leaders of the ruling party for the remarks and actions tainted with communal poison and the recent ‘Ghar Vapasi’ or the religious re-conversion to Hinduism are all part of the Sangh Parivar agenda. The reason the party couldn’t carry out their plans to the desired extent is the lack of majority in the Rajya sabha. But with the latest victory, the BJP is expecting to continue its dream run.