Coalition victory

NC-Congress Alliance has grabbed all the four MLC seats reserved for panchayat candidates under the State Constitution. For the first time after 1974, elections for the four seats from the 33400-strong panchayat members were held on December 3, and the results show that the alliance has won all four seats while main opposition parties like PDP, BJP and NPP have drawn a blank. Significantly, in South Kashmir, traditionally considered the bastion of PDP, the alliance has made deep dent among the panchayat constituencies relegating the PDP to second position. Similarly, the BJP has trailed in all constituencies including the seven seats held by its rebels.

Experience has shown that electorate in our country is generally unpredictable. A number of factors influence the voters when actual polling begins. This is apart from the personality of the candidates and their resourcefulness. The fact of the matter is that the voters essentially take the performance of the party into consideration when the time for casting the vote comes. In a democracy, the voter is the best judge of the performance of the party in power. Whatever the achievements of the ruling party these become cognizable only when they actually reach ordinary persons in one form or the other. Thus the voter is influenced by the consideration whether he has or has not been reached by the party in power.

It is generally said that coalition arrangement has not proved that successful and rewarding as it should have been in our country’s political arrangement. This could be a debateable proposition. But the results shown by the polls under discussion in our state belie the notion. It has rather emphatically shown that a coalition, if run with sincere intentions, and in the interests of the people, parties concerned and the nation, can be a boon. The manner in which NC and Congress conducted the campaign for election to four MLC seats from panchayat constituencies in the State shows that there has been perfect understanding and coordination at the top level of leadership, the spirit of which trickled down to the grass root level as well thus ensuring thumping victory for the coalition.

It is important to comment briefly on the approach of all political parties-be they in power or Opposition to the democratic process of running the state. Likewise, there are other lessons also that the panchayat election to Legislative Council seats has to convey. The lesson is that a party ridden with internal dissensions and disarrangement has little chances of making any success while dealing with public affairs. We are referring to the BJP in Jammu. Once a party with 11 seats in the Assembly has now been relegated to the fourth position in the race for four MLC seats. The feuding BJP leaders will have to realise that people and their panchs have rejected them for their deep-seated internal bickering and rivalry all emanating from personal aggrandisement and having nothing to do with the welfare of the people at large. They are yet to understand the value and obligations of a responsible opposition. The BJP high command has miserably failed to bring about rapprochement among the warring members of its J&K branch. It has neither been able to dismantle the existing rickety party structure and rebuild a new edifice. Nothing could be sadder for Jammu region, to the say the least.

Of the three tier panchayat structure proposed for the State, elections to the Block Development Councils are likely to come up soon. Once the circle is complete, the panchs and sarpanchs will have the strong voice in various fora to ask for their powers, financial, administrative and the rest. The State Government has more than once committed itself to devolution of all requisite powers to panchayats. It is only a matter of time. The opposition had played up the divergent views within the coalition on the question of 73rd and 74th amendment. But the matured leadership of Congress played its card well. Even Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said with élan that both of the top Congress leaders in the State had shared platform with him while conducting election campaign.

In final analysis, it remains to be said that now that the panchayat structure has taken shape and is set to play its effective role in state politics, the essential aim of this exercise should be kept in mind by all stakeholders whether they have won or lost the election. They are all dedicated to the cause of the nation and they have to work in service to the cause. Great responsibility devolves on the elected representatives to fight for the rights and privileges of the people of the State and not only of their respective constituencies. Their voice has power if raised in right direction and for right purposes. They should not become a prey to allurements to the office of benefit but should remain committed to the service of the people essentially of rural areas they represent. The Chief Minister has very rightly harkened the elected candidates to keep in their mind the coming general elections of 2014 and demonstrate same solidarity and unity in the wake of that event.

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