The noise of campaigning for the assembly elections to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after 10 years is increasing. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also put in its full strength in the assembly elections being held for the first time after the change in the status of the state and withdrawal of special status. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is claiming to form the government by winning the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, has released a populist manifesto and has also deployed an army of central ministers for election campaign. What are the focus points of BJP’s Mission Kashmir? This can be understood in five points.
1- Hillside communities
According to the 2011 census, the population of the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir is around 10 lakh. This community, which has been the core voter of the National Conference, is in a position to play a decisive role in deciding the victory or defeat in about a dozen assembly seats in areas like Rajouri, Handwara, Anantnag, Pir-Panjal, Poonch and Baramulla. If the BJP is expressing hope of winning about 10 seats in the Kashmir Valley, then the mathematics of the Pahari vote is also behind it.
The Pahari community had been demanding Scheduled Tribe status for years. Home Minister Amit Shah had assured the people of the Pahari community of ST status. People of Gujjar and Bakarwal community came out in protest against granting ST status to the Pahari community, also protested but the government fulfilled this promise by finding a middle path. Four castes of the Pahari community, Pahari Ethnic Group, Padri, Koli and Gadda Brahmin have been included in ST. Now BJP is expecting a return gift in the form of votes from the Pahari community in the assembly elections.
2- Gujjars and Bakarwals
BJP is also eyeing Gujjar and Bakarwal vote bank. According to the 2011 census, the population of Gujjar and Bakarwal in Jammu and Kashmir is around 15 lakh. After getting ST status in 1992, this community used to get 10 percent reservation in government jobs but there was no provision for any kind of reservation for political representation. Now in the new delimitation after the state reorganization, nine seats have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes, which has cleared the way for political representation of this community. BJP is expecting support from this community as well.
The Gujjar-Bakarwal community was said to be angry over the ST status given to the Pahari community, but the government made a provision of 10 percent separate reservation for the Pahari community without tampering with the 10 percent quota of the community. Also, Ghulam Ali Khatana, who comes from the Gujjar community, was nominated as a Rajya Sabha member. The reason behind all these efforts was said to be an effort to keep the influential Gujjar-Bakarwal tribe of Jammu and Kashmir in good stead. This community has been voting for the BJP and Gujjar-Bakarwal voters play a decisive role in about half a dozen seats of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
3- Cash benefits for women
Recently, BJP released a manifesto for the Jammu and Kashmir elections. In its manifesto, the party has used the cash benefit scheme that it had tried in assembly elections from Madhya Pradesh to Chhattisgarh. BJP has promised to give Rs 18,000 annually to the oldest woman in every family in the state if it forms the government. BJP’s manifesto also promises to give two gas cylinders free every year to the beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme. Women voters are considered silent voters of BJP who vote in favour of the party rising above caste and religion. The party is hoping to get the support of women voters in Jammu and Kashmir through the cash benefit scheme.
4- Focus on youth
BJP’s manifesto has many promises for the youth, from jobs to coaching fees and travel allowance. Along with promising five lakh jobs to the youth, BJP has also promised to give Rs 10,000 for coaching fees and travel allowance to students preparing for UPSC and JKPSC. Kashmir Valley politics is also behind this move of BJP. The loyalty of the old people of the valley has been with the families of Mehbooba Mufti or Omar Abdullah, but the youth are also looking towards new options. The defeat of Mehbooba and Omar in the recent Lok Sabha elections and the victory of independent candidates like Engineer Rashid are also considered to be pointing towards this.
5- Jammu Region
Jammu region is a Hindu majority area of the Union Territory. Unlike Kashmir Valley, parties like BJP and Congress have a strong base in this division. A large population of Hindus displaced from Kashmir Valley is also living in this division. There are 43 assembly seats in Jammu. In the 2014 elections, BJP had won 25 out of 37 seats in this division. BJP’s election in-charge Ram Madhav has claimed victory on 35 seats in Jammu region this time. BJP has promised in its Sankalp Patra a plan for complete rehabilitation of core voter Kashmiri Pandits and reconstruction of damaged temples, so it is being seen as linked to the politics of Jammu and the strategy to keep its core voter happy.
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