In Apni Party’s Jammu handshake, a sign of new realities for Kashmir parties

Many pointed out that it was a tepid reaction from a party that was founded in 2020 and whose primary plank is the full restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

In the Valley, the Apni Party, set up by 31 former members of the PDP and Congress, is viewed with suspicion and mockingly called the “King’s party” or the “BJP’s B-team”. Bukhari had set up the party five months after he attended a luncheon in New Delhi hosted by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

However, in an attempt to shed that image, Bukhari has been trying to distance himself from the BJP while also trying to retain his Kashmir constituency and build on his Jammu base. Over the last many months, Bukhari and other senior leaders of his party have been touring the Union Territory, spending at least 7-10 days a month each in the two regions.

Apni Party Youth General Secretary,In-charge Eidgah Constituency & Corporator SMC Mohammad @AshrafPalpori83 on Thursday visited #Pandit Mohalla & Bagwanpora #Noorbagh -Eidgah where he #met with numerous public #delegations and listened to their genuine #demands. pic.twitter.com/aW5igNdfFh

— J&K Apni Party (@Apnipartyonline) August 25, 2022

“For us, people in both the divisions are important. The Apni Party does not believe in differentiating on the basis of region, religion, caste and creed,’’ said senior leader Manjeet Singh, adding that Bukhari has been getting a “good response” from Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and even Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts during his tour of the region.

As the buzz over Assembly elections grows louder – with the competition of the delimitation process in the Union Territory – the top leadership of National Conference, PDP and Congress have also been visiting Jammu division from time to time.

Of the 90 seats in J&K, 47 are in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu. With the emergence of several new players, especially in the Valley, the pie will have to be divided among all. That, along with the presence of 25-30 predominantly Hindu seats, would mean that none of the Kashmir parties can hope to win by focussing only on the Valley.

In the 2014 election, the BJP won 25 of 37 seats in Jammu, the NC and PDP got three seats each, and the Congress five, while one went to an Independent. The election had sprung a surprise when areas predominantly inhabited by Jammu’s Muslim community voted en bloc for the BJP, a performance that enabled it to enter the corridors of power in coalition with the PDP in the then state of Jammu and Kashmir.

While the Jammu base of Kashmir parties NC and PDP has shrunk further following their stand on Article 370, the Congress, whose Jammu unit has been wracked by factionalism, is fast losing relevance in the region. They know that any electoral success in the region will be an uphill climb. It’s in this atmosphere that the Apni Party fancies its chances.

Now, after the recent delimitation of Assembly constituencies, there are at least 30 seats of the total 43 in Jammu division that are predominantly inhabited by Hindus. Of the remaining seats, there are some which will be reserved for the first time for Scheduled Tribes – mainly Muslim Gujjars and Bakarwals – who had been clamouring for political reservation during successive governments headed by the NC, PDP and Congress.

Given the changed situation post the redrawing of the Assembly constituencies, Kashmir-based parties, including the Apni Party, realise that they will have to tone down their position on a lot of issues, including Art 370, if they are to present themselves as an alternative to the BJP and tap into the anger among people over the BJP’s alleged failure to address a number of issues, including unemployment and the alleged lack of development.

Bukhari is scheduled to address public meetings in Jammu’s Talab Tillo area on September 9, Ramgarh on September 10 and Bari Brahmana on September 11 – areas that are strong BJP bastions which voted for the party in the 2014 assembly polls.