PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
Credit: PTI Photos
Srinagar: As the high pitch campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls drew to a close on Sunday, the only consensus emerging among almost all the parties was on restoration of statehood.
The lone dissenting voice came from Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which has its own distinct agenda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a relentless force in the BJP’s campaign, took to the stage with fervor. “We have said in the parliament that we will restore (J&K’s) statehood. Only the BJP will fulfill this commitment,” Modi said to a cheering crowd in Srinagar at an election rally while referring to BJP, without specifying any timeline for the return of statehood.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the architect of the BJP’s election strategy, added weight to the narrative. In his rousing speeches throughout Jammu, he confidently declared, “J&K will definitely get statehood, but only “Modi can restore it.”
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi threatened to wage protests inside and outside the Parliament to “force the BJP to grant Jammu and Kashmir its statehood.”
“This has never happened in the history of India that we have taken away statehood and transformed a state into UT. I guarantee you that if the BJP is not going to restore the statehood (after elections), we -- the I.N.D.I.A. alliance -- will use our full force in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and even come on the roads for the restoration of statehood to J&K,” he declared while addressing an election rally in Srinagar.
National Conference leader and former chief minister of J&K Omar Abdullah during his poll speeches said that restoring full statehood for the UT remains his top priority, adding that he would knock on the doors of the Supreme Court if the demand is not met willingly.
Other local parties also joined the chorus. Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference and Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party promised to fight for the restoration of statehood, presenting a united front against the central government’s decisions.
Yet, amid this consensus on statehood, Mehbooba Mufti stood apart. She dismissed the focus on statehood and seat-sharing, asserting that her party was engaged in a fight for something greater. “For me, this election is not for statehood or seat sharing. We have a bigger goal. We are fighting for dignity, for resolution (of Kashmir),” she said.
On the eve of the last phase of election, the streets in Kashmir buzz with discussions about the future. The question looms large: would statehood be restored, and at what cost?