There are assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and once again alliance politics is in the news. Congress and National Conference, allies in the opposition Alliance INDIA block, have announced that both parties will contest the elections together. Congress and NC ran a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir from 2008 to 2014. However, this is probably the first time that both parties have announced an alliance before the assembly elections. In Jammu and Kashmir, sometimes the friendship of National Conference during the time of Jawaharlal Nehru was in the news and sometimes the Abdullah family was seen getting close to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Let us know the political flip-flop of Abdullah family…
The two major parties of Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have been in power. PDP is also an ally of India Block, but is considered a rival of National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir. Both NC and PDP have formed alliances with national parties Congress and BJP in the last two and a half decades to form the government, but have rarely contested elections together. That is, till now both the regional parties have come together to form a power equation after the elections.
How were the relations between Congress and NC?
This time, before the elections, there has been an alliance between Congress and National Conference. In the past, the relationship between National Conference and Congress has seen many ups and downs. The imprisonment of NC founder Sheikh Abdullah in the 1950s, the merger of the party in the 1960s, the revival of NC in the 1970s, the dismissal of Farooq Abdullah government in the 1980s dominated the political circles. Later in the 1990s, the Abdullah family became disillusioned with the Congress and NC joined the BJP-led NDA. However, in the 2000s, once again there was an alliance between Congress and National Conference and Congress joined the government led by Omar Abdullah.
Congress’s stand on Article 370 not clear in the elections?
Now the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir has changed. 5 years ago, Article 370 and 35A were removed from Jammu and Kashmir. The special status of the state has ended. Jammu and Kashmir has become a union territory and elections are being held after 10 years. In such a situation, this alliance is being considered politically important. Last week, the National Conference released a manifesto, in which it promised to restore Article 370 and 35A. However, Congress has been seen avoiding this issue. This is the reason why four days ago, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked the Congress to clarify its stand.
Political flip-flop of Abdullah family…
Political experts say that the history of the Abdullah family in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir has been full of flip-flops, sometimes having close ties with Jawaharlal Nehru and sometimes with Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The politics of Sheikh Abdullah and his family has seen many ups and downs. There was a time when Sheikh Abdullah and Jawaharlal Nehru had a deep relationship. Nehru supported Sheikh Abdullah and considered him the leader of Kashmir. This was a time when Nehru hoped for a peaceful solution to make Kashmir an integral part of the Indian Union. Under Nehru’s policies, Article 370, giving special status to Kashmir, was implemented, which had the support of Sheikh Abdullah. However, in 1953, Nehru suddenly withdrew support and removed Sheikh Abdullah from the post of Prime Minister and got him arrested. Abdullah was accused of advocating the independence of Kashmir. This was a significant change in Nehru’s policy, which came to the fore due to the situation in the state and the behavior of Sheikh Abdullah.
When Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister in the 1990s, his relations with the Abdullah family improved. Vajpayee tried to restore peace under the policy of ‘Kashmiriyat, Insaaniyat, Jamhooriyat’, in which the Abdullah family also showed support. During Vajpayee’s rule, the National Conference cooperated with the central government, which strengthened the political position of the Abdullah family.
Vajpayee’s approach was different from Nehru’s. He tried to negotiate with Pakistan and restore democracy in Kashmir. When the Kargil war broke out, Vajpayee took a tough stand against Pakistan and supported the Indian Army. Vajpayee took several diplomatic initiatives regarding Kashmir, including trying to negotiate with Pakistan. He made efforts to improve relations with Pakistan, but the peace initiative faced obstacles.
Abdullah family remains relevant in Kashmir politics
Sheikh Abdullah and after him his son Farooq Abdullah and then grandson Omar Abdullah have changed their political policies from time to time. Whenever the relations with the central government improved, they remained strong in power and when the relations deteriorated, they had to face difficulties. The Abdullah family has always kept their party National Conference in an important role in Kashmir politics. They tried to manage the relations with the center from time to time, so that their political power remains intact.
What happened in the 1940s and 1950s?
Soon after independence, Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruler of the then princely state, signed the Instrument of Accession with India in October 1947 amid Pakistan’s attack. He appointed Sheikh Abdullah as the prime minister of the interim government a year later. Hari Singh left the state in 1949 when his son Karan Singh was appointed the regent of Jammu and Kashmir. Elections to the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir were held in 1951. The National Conference won 73 of the 75 seats. Two years later, Abdullah was imprisoned and Karan Singh dismissed his government under orders from Jawaharlal Nehru. NC leader Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed was made Abdullah’s successor. While Abdullah was in jail, the NC won assembly elections in 1957 and 1962. Bakshi was prime minister from 1953 to 1963.
How did politics change in the 1960s?
Bakshi resigned in 1963 and the trusted Qawaja Shamsuddin was appointed as prime minister, but Shamsuddin resigned in early 1964, reportedly under pressure from Nehru. The NC was then forced to elect Congress leader Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq as PM. A year later, the NC merged with the Congress. In elections held in 1967, Congress won 61 of the 75 seats and the NC faction led by Bakshi won eight. Sheikh Abdullah was released later that year.
When President’s rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir
A reconciliation took place in 1975. The Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Abdullah accord brought Abdullah back to power. Abdullah also revived the NC. However, the Congress withdrew support in March 1977 and the state was briefly put under President’s rule. In the assembly elections held after the Emergency that year, the NC won 47 seats and the Congress 11. Abdullah died in 1982 and his son Farooq Abdullah took over as chief minister. A year later, the NC won the assembly elections again.
NC-Congress relations soured again when in July 1984, Governor Jagmohan dismissed the Farooq government and installed a government of the Awami National Conference led by Ghulam Mohammad Shah, a breakaway faction. Farooq’s dismissal came after 12 MLAs and an independent withdrew support, reducing the NC government to a minority. In 1986, Jagmohan dismissed the Mohammad Shah government and imposed Governor’s rule, leading to unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. Rajiv Gandhi became concerned and decided to mend his differences with Farooq, resulting in the formation of a NC government with Congress support in November 1986. However, the move led to further unrest as the Valley saw it as blatant interference from Delhi.
The National Conference and Congress fought the 1987 assembly elections together. The election was seen as ‘rigged’. The NC won 39 seats, the Congress 24 and the newly formed Muslim United Front (MUF) four. Farooq resigned in 1990 and the state was placed under President’s rule until 1996.
In the 1996 assembly elections, the National Conference won 57 seats, the BJP eight and the Congress seven. The NC did not contest the Lok Sabha elections that year and joined the non-Congress, non-BJP United Front. However, two years later the NC walked out of the United Front.
When Omar became a part of Vajpayee cabinet
Meanwhile, Farooq took another shocking decision and joined the NDA in 1999. Joining hands with the BJP was like crossing a road of no return for the Abdullah family. Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah was made a minister in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Omar was a minister of state (MoS) in the central government from October 1999 to December 2002. The NC’s decision to join hands with the BJP was not well received in the Valley. The 2002 assembly elections were held a few months after the Gujarat riots. Omar took over as NC chief in July that year. He contested from Ganderbal, the family’s traditional seat, but lost. He resigned as Union minister and the NC broke ties with the BJP in July 2003. The NC went on the back foot as the Congress and the PDP joined hands to form the government.
In 2000, NC again came closer to UPA
However, before the 2008 trust vote on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Omar joined Congress again. NC supported the UPA government. Meanwhile, the Congress-PDP alliance broke in 2008. At that time PDP withdrew its support over the Amarnath land dispute. In 2008, National Conference and Congress contested the assembly elections separately. NC won 28 seats. PDP won 21 seats and Congress won 17 seats. NC-Congress formed an alliance to form a coalition government and Omar became CM for the first time. Congress and NC contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in alliance. NC became a part of the UPA. Later Farooq was included in the cabinet.
How has been the friendship between Congress and NC since 2010?
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Congress-NC contested together, but it did not yield any results. After the general elections, the Congress-NC alliance broke. Omar said, the decision to separate has been taken with mutual consent. Differences between the two parties cropped up before the elections. Congress had opposed the plan to create about 700 new administrative units in Jammu and Kashmir.
After that, when the 2014 assembly elections were held, both the parties fought separately. In 2017, both the parties came together again. Congress supported Farooq in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election. Farooq won. Both the parties fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in a strategic alliance. Congress contested two seats in Jammu and had a friendly file with the National Conference in Baramulla and Anantnag. Congress did not field any candidate against Farooq in Srinagar. In the recent Lok Sabha elections also, both the parties were part of the INDIA block. Both the parties contested three seats each. NC won two seats. Congress did not get a single seat.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)