Even as the formation of new Government in Jammu & Kashmir was highly discussed since the election results came out on December 23, the formal taking over of the new PDP-BJP coalition received subdued response in Kashmir Valley. A few villagers shouted slogans and burst crackers in Bandipora and Tangmarg in north Kashmir but the capital Srinagar, where PDP won five of the eight Assembly seats and three legislators were accommodated in the Council of Ministers, did not witness any celebration.
Four reasons are mainly attributed to the low-key response to the formation of Mufti Sayeed-led coalition Government. Firstly, the alliance with BJP received a lot of negative criticism, especially from the National Conference and the Congress and a bevy of political writers. They maintained that the alliance with the BJP for the first time in the history of the State, would pave way for the RSS to firm its roots in Kashmir. Secondly, the oath ceremony was held in Jammu and most of the enthusiastic supporters of new Ministers are away from Kashmir.
The long wait for the Government formation and inclement weather in valley are other two reasons for the subdued response to the event. “Mufti Sayeed took 67 days to cobble up an alliance with the BJP. Though the formation of the coalition was on expected lines, the long wait stole the surprise element,” said lawyer Muhammad Ashraf.
“People are more eager to witness a change on the ground level. The Kashmir valley has gone to medieval era after the devastating floods of September 2014,” he said.
Interestingly, the separatist groups maintained a discreet silence on the Government formation even as Mufti Sayeed sought to drag them into discourse of elections and Government formation. Usually fond of issuing statements on every trivial issue, the separatist groups and leaders maintained silence on the oath-taking ceremony held in Jammu. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq last week said the Government formation would not impact the disputability of Kashmir.
However, some mainstream political leaders criticised the PDP-BJP coalition describing it detrimental to the interests of the embattled State. langate legislator and chief of Awami Ittihad Party Engineer Rashid described Mufti’s likening of PDP-BJP alliance to connecting north and south poles as “cruel joke”.
“Mufti is trying to give cover to the fact that PDP and BJP are similar poles but it is like a very small stream joining a muddy river and culminating into its ultimate origin. Since BJP and PDP are unlike poles and when unlike poles attract, they never do it for positive things but just for collisions and creating disaster”, Rashid said.
The CPM State secretary and MlA Kulgam MY Tarigami and PDF president and MlA Khansahib Hakim Mohammad Yasin said there was nothing historic in the present coalition for the formation of the State Government, except that BJP has been able to share power in Jammu & Kashmir for the first time.