2008 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election
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all 87 seats in Legislative Assembly 44 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Registered | 6,461,757 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 61.16% (17.46%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections for the
Background
Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir state Assembly were due in 2008, following the end of the term of the Assembly elected in 2002. However, the PDP withdrew from the INC-led state government in protest at the Amarnath land transfer decision. The INC government resigned in July 2008 and the state was brought under the direct rule of the central government pending the elections.[1]
Boycott
The main Kashmiri separatist group, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference called on Kashmiris to boycott the elections, saying the elections were a "futile exercise" that would never "fulfill the aspirations of the people".[2]
Despite these boycott calls,
There were scattered separatist protests throughout the elections, including hundreds who protested in Srinagar. Police prevented these protestors from marching to the center of the city which led to protestors throwing stones at the police who fired tear gas and used baton charges.[4]
Security
Indian election officials voiced major concerns about the security of the elections given the calls for a boycott and protest from separatist leaders and the recent violence over the Amarnath land transfer controversy. Voting was staggered so that security forces could maintain control. Thousands of security forces were deployed during the voting. In Srinagar, security forces were posted at junctions, patrolled the streets, and guarded polling stations. An unofficial curfew was enforced, gatherings of more than five people banned and neighborhoods were sealed off with steel barricades and razor wire.[4]
Police also arrested three men they accused of being
Results
The seven stages of the elections were held as follows:
Date | Seats | Turnout | |
---|---|---|---|
Monday 17 November | 10 | 69.02% | |
Sunday 23 November | 6 | 68.29% | |
Sunday 30 November | 5 | 68.22% | |
Sunday 7 December | 18 | 59.24% | |
Saturday 13 December | 11 | 58.5% | |
Wednesday 17 December | 16 | 65.93% | |
Wednesday 24 December | 21 | 52.0% | |
Total | 87 | 60.5% | |
Source:[7][8] |
Turnout rose by 17%, despite calls from Kashmiri separatists and Pakistan for Kashmiris to boycott the election.[8][9] INC head Sonia Gandhi described the polls as "a triumph of Indian democracy".
Separatist supporters were said to have backed the PDP.[9] The BJP's increase in support was said to be due to polarisation arising from the Amarnath land transfer controversy, which led it to increase its seat tally from 1 to 11 seats.[10]
1,354 candidates stood for election including 517 independents and nominees from 43 political parties.[11]
Summary
Party | Flag | Seats | +/– | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Conference | 28 | 0 | |||||||||
People's Democratic Party | 21 | 5 | |||||||||
Indian National Congress | 17 | 3 | |||||||||
Bharatiya Janata Party | 11 | 10 | |||||||||
Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party
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3 | 1 | |||||||||
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
People's Democratic Front | 1 | ||||||||||
Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Party Nationalist | 1 | ||||||||||
Independents | 4 | ||||||||||
Total (turnout 60.5%) | 87 | ||||||||||
Source: Electoral Commission of India[permanent dead link] |
Elected Members
Constituency | Reserved for ( SC /None)
|
Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Karnah | None | Kafil Ur Rehman | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Kupwara | None | Mir Saifullah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Lolab | None | Abdul Haq Khan | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Handwara | None | Chowdary Mohd Ramzan | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Langate | None | Ab Rashid Sheikh | Independent
| |
Uri | None | Taj Mohi-ud-din | Indian National Congress | |
Rafiabad | None | Javaid Ahmad Dar | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Sopore | None | Mohd Ashraf Ganie | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Gurez | None | Nazir Ahmad Khan | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Bandipora | None | Nizamuddin Bhat | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Sonawari | None | Mohd. Akbar Lone | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Sangrama | None | Syed Basharat Ahmad | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Baramulla | None | Muzaffar Hussain Baig | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Gulmarg | None | Gh Hassan Mir | Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Party Nationalist | |
Pattan | None | Iftikhar Hussain Ansari | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Kangan | None | Altaf Ahmad | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Ganderbal | None | Omar Abdullah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Hazratbal | None | Farooq Abdullah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Zadibal | None | Peer Aafaq Ahmed | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Idgah | None | Mubarak Ahmad Gul | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Khanyar | None | Ali Mohammad Sagar | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Habbakadal | None | Shameema Firdous | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Amirakadal | None | Nasir Aslam Wani | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Sonawar | None | Farooq Abdullah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Batamaloo | None | Mohamad Irfan Shah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Chadoora | None | Javaid Mustaffa Mir | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Badgam | None | Aga Syed Ruhullah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Beerwah | None | Shafi Ahmad Wani | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Khansahib | None | Hakeem Mohammad Yasin | People's Democratic Front, Jammu and Kashmir | |
Chrari Sharief | None | Abdul Rahim Rather | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Tral | None | Mushtaq Ahmad Shah | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Pampore | None | Zahoor Ahmad | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Pulwama | None | Mohd Khalil Bandh | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Rajpora | None | Syed Bashir Ahmad Shah | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Wachi | None | Mehbooba Mufti | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Shopian | None | Abdul Razaq Wagay | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Noorabad | None | Sakina Itoo | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Kulgam | None | Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami | Communist Party of India | |
Homeshalibugh | None | Abdul Gaffar Sofi | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Anantnag | None | Mufti Mohammad Sayeed | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Devsar | None | Mohammad Sartaj Madni | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Dooru | None | Ghulam Ahmad Mir | Indian National Congress | |
Kokernag | None | Peerzada Mohd. Syed | Indian National Congress | |
Shangus | None | Peerzada Mansoor Hussain | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Bijbehara | None | Abdul Rehman Bhat | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Pahalgam | None | Rafi Ahmad Mir | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Nobra | None | Tsetan Namgyal | Independent
| |
Leh | None | Nawang Rigzin | Indian National Congress | |
Kargil | None | Qamar Ali Akhoon | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Zanskar | None | Feroz Ahmed Khan | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Kishtwar | None | Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Inderwal | None | Ghulam Mohd Saroori | Indian National Congress | |
Doda | None | Abdul Majid Wani | Indian National Congress | |
Bhaderwah | None | Ghulam Nabi Azad | Indian National Congress | |
Ramban | SC | Ashok Kumar | Indian National Congress | |
Banihal | None | Vikar Rasool | Indian National Congress | |
Gulabgarh | None | Abdul Gani Malik | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Reasi | None | Baldev Raj | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Gool Arnas | None | Ajaz Ahmed Khan | Indian National Congress | |
Udhampur | None | Balwant Singh Mankotia | Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party | |
Chanani | SC | Krishan Chander | Indian National Congress | |
Ramnagar | None | Harsh Dev Singh | Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party | |
Bani | None | Lal Chand | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Basohli | None | Jagdish Raj Sapolia | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Kathua | None | Charanjit Singh | Independent
| |
Billawar | None | Manohar Lal Sharma | Indian National Congress | |
Hiranagar | SC | Durga Dass | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Samba | SC | Yash Paul Kundal | Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party | |
Vijaypur | None | Surjit Singh | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Nagrota | None | Jugal Kishore | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Gandhinagar | None | Raman Bhalla | Indian National Congress | |
Jammu East | None | Ashok Kumar Khajuria | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Jammu West | None | Chaman Lal Gupta | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Bishnah | None | Ashwani Kumar Sharma | Independent
| |
R.s. Pura | SC | Gharu Ram Bhagat | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Suchetgarh | None | Sham Lal Choudhary | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Marh | None | Sukh Nandan Kumar | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Raipur Domana | SC | Bharat Bhushan | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
Akhnoor | None | Sham Lal Sharma | Indian National Congress | |
Chhamb | SC | Tara Chand | Indian National Congress | |
Nowshera | None | Radhay Sham Sharma | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Darhal | None | Zulfkar Ali | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Rajouri | None | Shabbir Ahmed Khan | Indian National Congress | |
Kalakote | None | Rachhpal Singh | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Surankote | None | Mohd. Aslam | Indian National Congress | |
Mendhar | None | Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
| |
Poonch Haveli | None | Ajaz Ahmed Jan | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference |
Government formation
Former National Conference Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, said he did not want to return as it "required the energy of a younger man", and nominated his son, Omar Abdullah, and the head of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference instead.[12]
Congress debated forming a coalition with either Conference or the PDP. It was reported that the PDP had offered to support a Congress candidate for Chief Minister if they joined with them. However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi were reported to favor the largest party to "honor the mandate" of the election.[13]
On 30 December Congress and the National Conference agreed to form a coalition government, with Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister.[14]
References
- ^ Amarnath row divides Jammu and Kashmir Archived 2008-08-10 at the Wayback Machine NDTV, 16 August 2008
- ^ APHC to boycott Kashmir elections later this year[permanent dead link] Pakistan Times, 11 May 2008
- ^ Despite boycott call, Jamaat cadres come out in support of PDP Indian Express, 23 December 2008
- ^ a b c Voting ends in Indian Kashmir amid heavy security International Herald Tribune, 24 December 2008
- ^ Clashes mark final Kashmir poll BBC News, 24 December 2008
- ^ Pakistan conundrum hangs over Kashmir poll success The Hindu, 30 December 2008
- ^ "7-phase poll in J&K from November 17". Rediff. 19 October 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ a b Low voter turnout in final phase, Rediff India, 2008-12-24
- ^ a b Abdullahs back in J&K Times of India, 29 December 2009
- ^ BJP fields more Muslim candidates in J&K to shrug off communal tag
- ^ 35 political parties failed to win a seat in J&K polls Rediff India, 29 December 2008
- ^ Kashmiri parties in coalition bid BBC News, 29 December 2008
- ^ Cong dilemma: young Omar or PDP Calcutta Telegraph, 29 December 2008
- ^ Pro-India parties to take power in Indian Kashmir International Herald Tribune, 30 December 2008