Jammu and Kashmir went for its first-ever Block Development Council (BDC) polls on October 24. This was the first election after the abrogation of article #370 and will be the last one, before J&K turns into a Union Territory on October 31, 2019.  However, it appeared to be an election happened never before. As Jammu and Kashmir looks more dismembered than ever as the leaders of the regional parties being mummed under detention. The Centre still decided to go further with elections.

The BDC elections and the results

The maiden BDC election in Jammu and Kashmir recorded a 98.3% turnout on Thursday. The polls to elect chairpersons of BDCs were held in 310 blocks in the state and 1,092 candidates were in the fray, of whom 27 were elected unopposed.

There were 26,629 electors — 8,313 women and 18,316 men — for the polls to elect chairpersons of BDCs, which are organisations in the second tier of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), officials said to media. PRIs have three levels — village, block and district. 

People in Jammu and Kashmir chose to go with independent leaders instead. Independent candidates won more than twice the seats BJP secured. The party wise position looked like this – BJP 81, Indian National Congress 1, Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party 8, BSP 0, Independent 217.

The Boycott

The Centre decided to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir when Kashmir is reeling under heavy shutdown and sporadic communication blackout including internet not being restored ever since the abrogation happened.

Bharatiya Janata Party was the only party to be taken part in the election and rest contested independently. 

The regional parties of Kashmir that claim hegemony over the region i.e., National Conference(NC) and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) had boycotted the elections.

The NC had slammed the decision to hold BDC elections. They have alleged that it is “the biggest mockery of democracy” to hold polls when the entire leadership of the state is “under detention”. The Congress also opted to support the regional parties by boycotting the election. Congress boycotted the election due to the continued detention of its party members in the state. However, one candidate who won from one of the seats of Pulwama district fought on the Congress symbol, despite the boycott. 

While newfound parties suffer a fate worse than being muzzled. 

Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference(PC) and Shah Faesal’s Jammu Kashmir Peoples’ Movement fell on face post abrogation with leaders considering to relinquish politics once and for all.

The Logical Indian Take

Conducting free and fair elections is the core principle of democracy in India. India has multiple party system that has ensured a wide array of political parties that citizens can choose from. However, holding such elections only dilute the concentration of democratic rights. Democracy means by the people, of the people, and for the people. Democracy cannot be authoritative or shoved down people’s throat as BR Ambedkar rightly put, “Ours is a battle not for wealth; nor for power, ours is a battle for freedom; for reclamation of human personality.”

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