At a public meeting in Jammu on Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrongly referred to Kashmiri Pandits as “refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).” He realised his mistake almost immediately and corrected himself, saying, “Sorry, the promises made by (former Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh to Kashmiri Pandits will be fulfilled.”
Exodus of Kashmir Pandits shapes election narratives in JK
The plight of the Kashmiri Pandits and their exodus from the valley in the 1990s has become a major issue in the current election campaign in the union territory.
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Conference-Congress alliance are vying for the support of this community and promising strong measures for their rehabilitation.
The BJP has unveiled the Tika Lal Taploo Visthapit Samaj Punarvas Yojana, named after Tika Lal Taploo, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit and BJP leader who was tragically assassinated by terrorists in 1989. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted Taploo's legacy at a recent rally in Doda and emphasised the BJP's commitment to addressing the historical injustices faced by the community.
On the other hand, the National Conference-Congress alliance is leveraging on past rehabilitation efforts under former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to appeal to the Pandit community. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, during his visit to Anantnag, reaffirmed the alliance's commitment to continue Dr Singh's legacy of support for Kashmiri Pandits.
Omar Abdullah's Advice to Congress
Commenting on the Congress party's campaign strategy, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah suggested that they focus more on Jammu, where they have a key seat-sharing agreement with his party. “That is a good thing. I hope that Rahul (Gandhi), after he finishes campaigning in one or two seats of Kashmir, will focus on Jammu,” Abdullah said.
He noted that though Congress has the lion's share of seats in Jammu, their campaign efforts have not yet picked up. “Unfortunately, Congress has not done as much in the plains of Jammu as the NC expects,” he noted.
Elections for Jammu and Kashmir state have begun
Voting for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections began at 7 am on Wednesday. Over 25 lakh eligible voters will decide the fate of 239 candidates in 26 constituencies in six districts of the Union Territory. This phase involves 25,78,099 eligible voters, comprising 13,12,730 male voters, 12,65,316 female voters and 53 voters of the third gender.
The final phase of the election is scheduled for October 1, with votes being counted on October 8.