Alliance of anti-BJP parties wins a majority of seats in Kashmir’s local elections

The pro-autonomy Gupkar Alliance triumphed in Kashmir, but not in Jammu

Credit: FAROOQ KHAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 

An anti-government political alliance triumphed in Muslim-majority Kashmir in the region’s first elections since its autonomous status, granted in India’s constitution, was stripped in a highly controversial move by the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in August 2019. 

Meanwhile, the BJP secured the largest vote share in neighbouring Jammu, which has a larger Hindu population.

The vote, which saw residents elect representatives for local development councils in charge of social welfare, reveals a restive region divided along religious lines.

The Gupkar Alliance, which has opposed the removal of Article 370 of the constitution, which gave Jammu and Kashmir autonomy, and the scrapping of inherited protections on land ownership and jobs, won 72 seats in Kashmir.

This was despite the alliance, which includes parties headed by former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, alleging some of its candidates had been arrested or banned from campaigning by the authorities.

“The result is a stinging rejection of BJP propaganda. Since August 5 they have been trying to convince the world that every single resident of Jammu and Kashmir supports Article 370,” Mr Abdullah told The Daily Telegraph.

“The election result actually proves the opposite – the majority of people in Jammu and Kashmir do not agree with the BJP’s actions and have rejected what the party stands for.”

But, senior BJP officials were delighted with the result, as they secured the greatest single-party vote share overall.

The election took place with a heavy security presence

Credit: Farooq Khan/Shutterstock/EPA-EFE

“The BJP is going to play a historic role in the development of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 promoted separatism in the region and since it’s gone, Jammu and Kashmir will be put on development mode like other parts of India,” said Nirmal Singh, who has also served as former deputy chief minister of the region.

Unsurprisingly, the BJP only won just three seats in Kashmir but triumphed in 71 seats in Jammu, with most of its victories coming in four Hindu-majority districts.

The voting, which began on November 28 and took place over eight rounds, was largely trouble-free but took place under a huge security presence from the Indian Army.

A pro-independence insurgency has raged in Kashmir since 1989 and tensions have been heightened since the Indian Government brought the region under central control.

The Indian Army has arrested thousands of Kashmiris in the name of quelling dissent, including political prisoners and children, while the region’s economy has been decimated by an ongoing restriction on high-speed mobile internet services.