Meanwhile in IOK , the protectors of all things Indian hindu are frightened to even think about the beating they will get in elections they can't even contest one seat .
Kashmir: Why Modi's BJP is not fighting elections in the Himalayan region
- By Auqib Javeed
- Srinagar, Kashmir
11 May 2024
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,Experts say the BJP is fearful of losing elections in Indian-administered Kashmir
More than four years after the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir, the party has decided not to contest this year's general election there.
Political analysts and opposition leaders say the decision hints at anger in the region over the move - and the party's acknowledgement of it.
Relations between Kashmir and Delhi have been tense for decades. An insurgency against Indian rule and military action against it have claimed thousands of lives in the Himalayan region over the past three decades.
The situation worsened in 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government revoked nearly all of Article 370 - a part of the Indian constitution which had given significant autonomy to the region - and divided it into two federally-administered territories of Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
The government also imposed a strict communication blockade and jailed hundreds of political leaders, including three former chief ministers, for months.
GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,Local BJP workers say they they are surprised at the party's decision to not contest elections
The move is also surprising because this is the first time the BJP has not contested a general election in the region since 1996.
The party traditionally does not enjoy much support here, but experts say its cadre base has increased in recent years.
Its best performance was in the state elections of 2014, when it emerged as the second-largest party and formed the government with the PDP. The party won 25 of the total 87 seats - all in Jammu.
This marked the final assembly elections held in the former state. The coalition collapsed in 2018, and Mr Modi's government imposed direct rule in the region.
The party received a boost in 2020, after it won the local elections, including three seats in Kashmir.
Two years later, the government redrew the boundaries of assembly seats in a way that Jammu received six additional seats, while Kashmir was given one extra seat, taking the tally to 90. (Until 2019, Jammu had 37 seats and Kashmir had 46).
The exercise was widely seen as a
move to increase the influence of Hindus in the region's electoral politics.
But despite some electoral success, experts say the BJP has failed to create impact on the ground.
"The region has been under the direct control of Delhi. But people prefer a democratically-elected government where they are connected with the leadership," says Mr Baba, the analyst.
Locals and opposition leaders say that several other factors have also increased the sense of alienation among people. This includes high unemployment rates, the absence of local representation in politics, and
alleged human rights abuses by security forces.
"
Even if they win all the seats in the rest of the country, losing from Kashmir would have been a major defeat," says Mohit Bhan, the PDP spokesperson.
"To avoid that they opted not to field any candidate," he claims.
