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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