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| BJP, Cong working hard to win RS seat | | Role of independent MLAs crucial | | Rustam
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 4: The BJP, which has fielded two candidates for the four Rajya Sabha seats in J&K and contesting the election in alliance with the PDP, is, like the PDP, all set to win one seat hands down (notification No. I) and is working hard to win the other (notification No. III) . It can win the other seat only if it succeeds in mustering the support of three MLAs. As of now, it has the support of 27 MLAs (25 BJP MLAs and 2 PC MLAs), three less than the required number. Its advantage is that the PDP is also working for the success of the BJP candidate. The PDP is better placed as far as its chances of winning the two seats is concerned (Notifications No. I and III). The PDP has mustered the support of a couple of independent MLAs, including the one from Zanskar in Ladakh, Bakir Hussain Rizvi, who on Saturday declared its open support for the PDP candidate. Another advantage of the BJP is that the PDP, which has emerged as the single largest party in the 87-member house, and the BJP will be at the helm of affairs in the next few days. Since the PDP and the BJP will be in the driver's seats, it would not be difficult for the them to enlist the support of three independent MLAs to ensure the victory of the BJP candidate, who, like the Congress candidate and outgoing Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad. Both the PDP and the BJP can devise the election winning strategy and reports do suggest that they have devised one. BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, who has been playing the "crucial role in the state politics for quite sometime now", has already discussed the ways and means required to win the election and reports suggest that "he is in touch with the independent MLAs".
The Congress is also not leaving any stone unturned to ensure the reentry of Azad into the Rajya Sabha from J&K. For Azad, the victory is very crucial; the outcome of election will decided his fate. The Congress has already enlisted the support of the NC, which has 15 MLAs. As for Azad, he has been camping in J&K since several days now with a view to winning over the support of three independent MLAs. CPI-M state secretary and MLA from Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has already declared his support for the Congress' candidate. The Congress and the NC share between them 27 seats. On Tuesday, Azad met independent MLAs Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Engineer Rashid at Srinagar to enlist their support for his candidature. Both Rashid and Yasin acknowledged that Azad did meet them, but, unlike Tarigami, none of them disclosed if they will vote for the Congress' candidate or another candidate. "I will take a call from my conscience and vote accordingly," Yasin was quoted as saying. As for Rashid, he reportedly said: "I won't take any decision in haste". In other words, they didn't open their cards; they didn't commit their support much to the chagrin of the "desperate" Azad.
Reports not only suggest that Ram Madhav is working overtime to enlist the support of independent MLAs, including Pawan Gupta (Udhampur), but also suggest that "some top PDP leaders" are also "wooing" Yasin and Rashid. Since Yasin and Rashid would need government's support for the development of their respective constituencies and since neither the NC nor the Congress is in power, the possibility of Yasin and Rashid going with the PDP just cannot be overruled.
The fact of the matter is that the poll managers of the PDP and the BJP are doing all that they could to ensure the victory of all their four candidates. It will be interesting to see what finally happens on the D-day (February 7). But one thing is certain: The contest is very tough for Azad. |
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