The announcement of assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana might have come just months after the general elections but the clamours of the poll narrative are likely to be entirely different with significant local and national ramifications. Of course tough challenges lie ahead. Cross border terror remains a threat “ in recent days, the theatre has moved south of Pir Panjal to the Jammu region. Doing away with the special status came at the cost of a huge political and social upheaval with international ramifications.
The Centre must pay heed to the aspiration and anxieties of J&K people to ensure that the alienation that has haunted past generations does not become their burden as well. In poll-bound Haryana, where the BJP has been in power for a decade, the Congress is looking to capitalise on the anti-incumbency factor. Both are fancying their chances, having won five seats each in the state in this year’s Lok Sabha elections.
The voters especially belonging to J&K must place their trust in the Indian election system and vote without fear and realise their dream of being able to elect their own representatives.
