HEADLINES POLL ARCHIVES FEEDBACK SEARCH REDIFF NEWSLINKS US EDITION NEWS DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ARCHIVES
A Correspondent in Srinagar
The National Conference was on Thursday voted out of power in Jammu and Kashmir with the Congress and the People's Democratic Party making spectacular gains.
But neither the Congress nor the PDP won enough seats to be able to form a government on its own. Both indicated, however, the possibility of coming together to form a coalition government.
Though the ruling National Conference emerged the single largest party, it was much battered and bruised. Party president Omar Abdullah, the chief ministerial candidate, suffered a shocking defeat in Ganderbal at the hands of Qazi Mohammed Afzal of the PDP.
Several of the party's ministers too lost, four of them in Jammu division alone.
Omar's father, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who flew in from South Africa in the morning, put up a brave front. "It's time for introspection," he said.
That there is much to introspect on within the party was clear. Omar Abdullah told a television channel that factionalism was responsible for his defeat in Ganderbal.
On the same television channel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the victorious chief of the J&K unit of the Congress, and senior PDP leader Muzaffar Baig shook hands and hugged warmly.
Both had much to celebrate. While it was a debut election for the PDP, it was Azad's first election too as chief of the Congress unit in his home state.
At the end of all the bonhomie and delirious celebration, however, one question remained unanswered --- whose candidate would become chief minister if the two parties do come together?
Both the Congress and the PDP chose not to take a stand on this count on Thursday. Azad, however, said he would like a chief minister and a deputy chief minister representing the two main regions of the state --- Jammu and Kashmir --- in the coalition government.
The Congress has a slight edge over the PDP as far as numbers go. It has won 21 seats, with most of them coming from the Hindu-majority Jammu. The PDP has won 15 and the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley has been its happy hunting ground.
Apart from the politics of polls, the Jammu & Kashmir election had a larger national and international significance because of the insurgency in the valley, fed and fanned by Pakistan.
Delhi is ecstatic about the largely free and fair conduct of the election and the defeat of the ruling party has only strengthened its position.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a separatist conglomerate of political outfits in the valley with strong pro-Pakistan leanings, said the election would not solve the Kashmir issue.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is in Copenhagen attending a summit with the European Union, described the results as a vote against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
Congratulating the "courageous and patriotic" electorate of the Kashmir valley, Jammu, and Ladakh, he said: "Before the start of the electoral process, we had pledged that the elections would be free and fair. This promise has been fulfilled."
Lauding the successful conclusion of polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the US asked India and Pakistan to resume dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir, and said 'lasting settlements' can only be achieved through talks.
Terming Premier A B Vajpayee's 'personal commitment to making (the elections) transparent and open' a critical factor in taking the democratic process forward, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher commended the Election Commission of India and 'the courage of the candidates and voters who chose to participate despite the violence'.
"The Kashmiri people have shown they want to pursue the path of peace," he said.
Final tally: Total seats - 87; Polls held for 85 seats National Conference: 28 Congress: 21 People's Democratic Party: 15 BJP: 1 CPI-M: 2 J&K Panthers Party: 4 Jammu State Morcha: 1 Others: 13
Two candidates of the Ladakh Union Territory Front had won unopposed.
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said he would meet Governor G C Saxena on Friday to tender his resignation. That would set into motion hectic activities to form the next government.
In this exercise, independents and smaller parties like the Communist Party of India, Marxist, and the J&K National Panthers Party would play a crucial rule.
With inputs from PTI
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
