Jamaat fails to live up to hype in J&K polls: history of the party’s electoral forays

Banned nether the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Jamaat’s determination to participate the electoral fray aft the 1987 elections had been some welcomed and criticised — arsenic broadbasing of electoral authorities successful Kashmir, and arsenic cutting into anti-BJP votes respectively.

In its defeat, however, Jamaat is repeating history. It has ne'er been a formidable governmental unit successful Kashmir connected its own.

A look astatine electoral information since it began participating successful the electoral process successful the aboriginal 70s shows it was ne'er capable to construe its socio-cultural power into votes. Barring the 1987 elections — erstwhile it contested the Assembly polls with much than 16 organisations nether the banner of Muslim United Front (MUF) and the confederation notched up implicit 30% votes contempt allegations of the predetermination being heavy rigged — its ballot stock ne'er reached adjacent treble digits connected its own.

Inception of Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir

Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir has its roots successful Islamic reformist movements successful Kashmir successful the precocious nineteenth century, erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir was nether Dogra rule. One of the pioneers during this signifier was the Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Maulana Rasul Shah, who formed the Anjuman Nusrat ul-Islam successful 1899. It aimed to impart some modern and Islamic education, and destruct what were seen arsenic un-Islamic “innovations” and superstitions successful fashionable Sufi practices.

The Jamaat took signifier successful an ambiance of disillusionment with the secular authorities of the National Conference and the Muslim nationalism advocated by the Muslim Conference, and pitched for Kashmir’s integration with Pakistan aft the Partition. It was with this inheritance that the Jamaat aboriginal galvanised nationalist sentiment against the authorities of the National Conference.

Political Foray

Despite its reservations astir Kashmir being portion of India, the Jamaat initially exhibited religion successful the Indian antiauthoritarian process and sponsored immoderate candidates for the 1969 section panchayat elections. Some of its candidates adjacent won. It past participated successful the 1971 Lok Sabha elections but failed to triumph immoderate seat.

It made its Assembly polls debut successful 1972, fielding 22 candidates (J&K past had 75 seats), of which 5 won. Its candidates polled a full of 7% votes. However, connected the seats Jamaat contested, it secured astir 24% votes. It was the runner-up connected arsenic galore arsenic 9 seats. Among the cardinal seats it stood 2nd successful were Bandipora, Harl, Sonawari, Kangan, Ganderbal and Amirakadal.

However, this was a play of tremendous governmental upheaval successful J&K. Kashmir’s tallest person and archetypal PM, Sheikh Abdullah, had been jailed contempt his enactment sweeping elections successful 1951, 1957 and 1962. It is said that the NC was past forced to merge with the Congress, and the 1967 polls saw Congress triumph 61 of 75 seats. Abdullah was released aboriginal that year.

Thus the 1972 polls virtually had nary absorption different than the Jamaat and Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), with the second mostly operating successful the Jammu region. BJS itself contested 32 seats but managed to triumph lone 3 with a full voteshare of astir 10%. Its voteshare successful the seats it contested (23%) was little than the Jamaat’s (24%). It, however, stood 2nd successful 14 seats.

To enactment matters successful perspective, the highest fig of votes (27%) aft the Congress (55%) were secured by independents who besides stood 2nd successful 34 seats.

In astir seats the Jamaat stood 2nd in, the margins of decision were significant. For example, successful Sonawari seat, wherever Jamaat came 2nd down Congress, it secured lone 10% votes against the latter’s 85%. However, it mislaid Amirakadal by a slender borderline of 72 votes.

The Slide

By the 1977 polls, the Abdullah-Indira accord had taken signifier and the NC was a abstracted governmental enactment erstwhile again. In these polls, the NC again emerged arsenic the biggest party, winning 47 seats, followed by the Janata Party (13) and the Congress (11). The Jamaat saw a crisp diminution successful its seats and ballot share.

Contesting 19 seats, it secured triumph successful lone one, with Syed Ali Shah Geelani retaining his Sopore seat. Its full voteshare fell from 7% successful 1972 to conscionable 4%, portion its ballot stock successful seats it contested besides declined to conscionable 13%. It stood the runner-up successful lone 5 seats this time.

Its candidates stood 2nd successful Baramulla, Shopian, Pulwama and Hom Shali Bugh but were defeated by important margins. Only successful Kulgam, wherever it stood second, it secured a decent stock of votes astatine 30%, to the winner’s 42%.

The 1983 elections turned retired to beryllium worse for the Jamaat. While NC astir retained its erstwhile seats tally and voteshare and Congress improved them, Jamaat could not triumph a azygous of the 26 seats it contested adjacent though it retained its ballot stock of astir 4%. In the seats it contested, however, its voteshare fell to 11%. It stood 2nd successful constituencies specified Kulgam, Shopian, Baramulla, and Sopore.

The past hurrah

The 1987 elections, which person been wide considered to beryllium rigged successful favour of an unpopular NC then, saw MUF look arsenic a large governmental force. Though the confederation won lone 4 seats, it had a voteshare of implicit 30%.

It has been argued that had the elections not been rigged, the MUF would person swept the polls. These were the past elections that the Jamaat contested, earlier entering electoral fray this year. The rigging of these elections is believed to person fixed emergence to militancy successful Kashmir, with galore MUF candidates who were allegedly forced to cede polls going connected to go separatists oregon militants.

The 2 cardinal figures who contested these polls arsenic MUF candidates were Syed Ali Shah Gilani and Mohammed Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin. While Gilani won his Sopore seat, Salahuddin mislaid by implicit 4,000 votes from Amirakadal. It was said Salahuddin was declared the loser aft being successful the pb with a important borderline done the full time of counting. His canvass manager past was Yasin Malik.

While Gilani went connected to go the main of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Salahuddin and Malik became militants. Salahuddin is presently the main of United Jihad Council, which besides controls the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.