BJP proves a flop in Valley

JAMMU: Endeavouring to spread its wings in the Kashmir valley, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had fielded 28 candidates this time, up from 13 in 1996. But much to its embarrassment, all these contestants even lost their deposits. On Thursday, party workers were euphoric when initial trends suggested that Shamima Wani, a candidate from Chadura in Budgam, was leading.But this was not to be. The final results placed her among the losers. Shamima was the only woman who got the BJP mandate this time.
In Budgam itself, the party suffered another blow with the defeat of Ashraf Azad.
Being complacent about support from the migrant Kashmiri Pandits and a low voter turnout, the BJP had even nominated some Pandits — Lalit Moza from Amirakadal, G K Muju from Sonawar, H N Kaul from Wachi in Pulwama and Vikram Bhatt from the Anantnag constituency. Here again, the voters turned the tide against it.
The BJP earlier claimed that H L Chatha, its candidate from Habbakadal, would sail through. An independent, Raman Mattoo knocked him out. No matter how disastrous the results have been, the fact remains that the BJP had stepped into some areas never explored before.
Unlike the 1996 strategy, the party forayed into the Kupwara district. It contested from Tangdar-Karnah and Langate-Sogam seats. In Anantnag district, it had contested six seats in 1996. This time, it fielded candidates in all the 10 constituencies.
Likewise, the party contested from seven of the 10 constituencies in Srinagar district, up from three last time. It also tested waters in three of the 10 assembly seats in Baramullah district. Party leader Manohar Lal, in-charge of the poll campaign, said the number of contestants were jacked up mainly ‘‘to improve the party’s acceptance among the masses in Kashmir’’.
The party, he said, had also reached an understanding with the Border People’s Front for four seats, but all the Front candidates sank without a trace.