KASHMIR: Ruling dynasty suffers defeat

BY EVA CHENG

The month-long, four-phase election in the Indian-held section of
Kashmir (IHK) was completed on October 8. The result ended the National
Conference (NC) party's half-century near monopoly of political power in
the IHK.

The NC's previous two-thirds majority was slashed to 28 seats in the
87-seat legislature, spelling, at least, a temporary end to the political
dynasty started by Sheik Abdullah, which was carried on by his son, Chief
Minister Farooq Abdullah, and grandson, 32-year-old Omar Abdullah, who
is also a foreign minister in the Indian government. Omar Abdullah, the
party's president and candidate for chief minister, lost his seat.

The NC's next two nearest competitors, the Congress party and the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), secured just 20 and 16 seats respectively.

The NC had ruled out forming a coalition government with rival parties,
but Farooq Abdullah retracted this following the stalemate that ensued
between the Congress and PDP over which party would provide the chief minister
in any government that they might form together.

Twenty-two candidates who favour Kashmiri independence were elected
as independents. This is despite the call of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference,
Kashmir's main pro-independence platform, to boycott the election. The
election turnout was 44%.

More than 700 people have been killed, including two candidates and
84 political organisers, since India called the election on August 2.

From Green Left Weekly, October 23, 2002.

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From GLW issue 513