Srinagar, Oct 07 (RNA): With most of the exit polls predicting a clear advantage for the NC-Congress alliance in the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the resurgence of the Congress in the erstwhile state assumes significance. Marred by infighting coupled with decade-long fatigue, the National Grand Old Party, which remained an epicenter of power from 2002-2014 and even before, went into oblivion and under a shadow soon after Narendra Modi led the BJP to sweep Parliament and assembly elections here. Since then, the Congress has been struggling to regroup, resulting in infighting, lobbyism, and demoralization of the cadre. The party was being seen as a lame duck, with nobody even wanting to ally with it before the party high command took a sudden decision to hand over the reins to former Finance Minister and one of its former ally Peoples Democratic Party founders, Tariq Hameed Karra. The firebrand leader, who has a reputation for sticking to the rulebook of integrity, has been a long-time BJP critic who not only quit his Parliament seat midway in protest against the 2016 killings but also disassociated himself from the PDP, which was in power with the BJP then. Karra was one of the architects behind raising the PDP along with its founder, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and a few others.
How Did Other Parties Fare in the 2024 J&K Assembly Polls?
Dainik Bhaskar’s exit poll suggests that the INC-NC alliance will secure 35-40 seats, while the BJP is expected to win 20-25 seats. The PDP, which was the BJP’s ally in the previous government, is likely to get 4-7 seats, with other parties receiving 12-16 seats.
Gulistan News projects 31-36 seats for the INC-NC alliance, while the BJP is expected to win 28-30 seats. The PDP could win 5-7 seats, with other parties securing 8-16 seats.
People’s Pulse indicates that the INC-NC alliance will surpass the majority mark with 46-50 seats, while the BJP is projected to win 23-27 seats. The PDP is expected to get 7–11 seats, and other parties may secure 4-6 seats.
Voter’s exit poll predicts that the INC-NC alliance will win 40-48 seats, while the BJP is expected to secure 27-32 seats. The PDP is projected to receive 6-12 seats, and others will likely win 6-11 seats.
According to Axis My India, the contest between the BJP and the INC-NC alliance is close. The BJP is projected to win 24-34 seats, while the INC-NC alliance is expected to secure 35-45 seats. The poll predicts the PDP will win 4-6 seats, with other smaller parties receiving 8-23 seats.
Whatever the actual outcome, which will be clear on Tuesday, there is already one silver lining visible: the Congress has finally set in for a resurgence in Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Karra.
Mr. Karra took over the reins along with Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla as working presidents on the day when the Election Commission of India announced polls, leaving him with absolutely no time for a political honeymoon. Struggling with health issues and a broken arm, the political stalwart immediately began his work even before being formally welcomed at the party’s Srinagar headquarters. Known for his apt and uncompromising organizational administration, Karra has a long legacy of running party affairs with both persuasion and tough decisions, and he loves taking challenges head-on. According to a political analyst, the last month, however, must have been the most difficult of all the challenges he might have faced in the past.
Fighting himself from the Central Shaltang Constituency in Srinagar City, where exit polls give him the lead, Tariq Karra had a much bigger task at hand, which not only limited his opportunities for an extended campaign in his constituency but also left his own workers to fend for themselves, as he was not available even for consultations due to his hectic schedule of campaigning in other constituencies for his party colleagues. Without caring for his own political fate, Karra campaigned overtime for other party colleagues in both provinces and even rode a tractor in the Jammu rally, which is considered a BJP stronghold. A senior Congress leader told RNA that Karra has infused momentum and energy not only into the party unit but also among its cadres.
“Look at his commitment; he left his constituency unattended for the rest of us. He campaigned for us, encouraged cadres, and gave a sense of belonging while taking everyone along in the party,” he told RNA, wishing to remain anonymous.
Karra, at the time of filing his nomination papers, urged people to vote wisely, asserting that it was not just an election after 10 years but a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape Jammu and Kashmir's destiny for the next 100 years." Terming the statement as that of a statesman with a long vision, a Congress leader wishing anonymity told RNA that had the party leadership made him president at least a year earlier, the results would have certainly been far more encouraging. He, however, hoped that Congress would now see a great resurgence in Jammu and Kashmir under his leadership.