Grand alliance in Jammu & Kashmir worrisome for BJP

For over a week, the NC, PDP and Congress leaders were in touch to form "grand alliance" after sensing that their flock was vulnerable to "poaching from other camp.
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti (File | PTI)
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti (File | PTI)

SRINAGAR: The experiment of "Grand Alliance" by rival political parties in Jammu and Kashmir - National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress - is an indicator that the politics would never be the same again in the politically sensitive and militancy-hit State and it is more worrisome for BJP. The two regional parties NC and PDP came together by burying their rivalries and political indifferences to save their "flock" and put a checkmate on BJP and its ally separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajjad Gani Lone.

For over a week, the NC, PDP and Congress leaders were in touch to form "grand alliance" after sensing that their flock was vulnerable to "poaching from other camp. "The leaders of three parties were aware that their MLAs were "vulnerable to poaching" and it is difficult to keep their flock intact," sources in the three parties said. This, they said, necessitated a change of mindset among leaders of three parties and they decided to join hands to form a "Grand Alliance" government presuming it to be a win-win situation for all the three parties.

For PDP, it would have been a big opportunity to gain the "lost ground" in the Valley due to its three years alliance with BJP besides keeping its flock of MLAs together. The Congress and NC could have also used their stint in the power to consolidate their vote bank by launching people-friendly projects and welfare schemes.

Besides, it would have given chance to three parties to weaken BJP's hold in Jammu region by launching development projects before the polls and claiming credit for "developmental activities" during poll campaign.According to political observers, all the three parties have achieved much bigger goal of keeping intact their vulnerable flock of MLAs."Now any leader of the three parties will think hundred times before switching allegiance to BJP-backed Sajjad Lone's camp," they said.The experiment has come as a major jolt to BJP and its ally Sajjad Lone.

Sajjad, who has emerged as BJP's pointman in Kashmir, was trying to engineer split in PDP, NC and Congress and break some disgruntled legislators form the three parties to help formation of BJP-led government in the State.Sajjad had the support of PDP rebels Imran Ansari and his uncle Abid Ansari in wooing the disgruntled legislators of three parties to cobble up numbers for forming BJP-led government.Abid Ansari had told New Indian Express a fortnight back that he was holding talks with disgruntled legislators in PDP and Sajjad was himself in contact with disgruntled MLAs in NC and Congress.

The experiment of "Grand Alliance" between the three parties is a worrisome for the BJP.It is clear indicator for the saffron party that even if NC, PDP and Congress contest Assembly elections against each other but there would always be possibility now that the three parties can align in future and gang up against the saffron party and deny it any opportunity to form the government in the only Muslim-majority State of the country."The BJP and its ally Sajjad will now have to change their strategy to outfox NC, PDP and Congress," said a young political observer Aadil Ahmad.

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