Electoral process resumed in reorganised Jammu & Kashmir in 2020 with DDC polls

Srinagar: Maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections in the fag end of 2020 marked a resumption of political activity in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of special status and reorganisation of the erstwhile state last year.

The year 2020 began amid uncertainty as most of the mainstream political leaders continued to be under various forms of detention following the landmark constitutional amendments of 2019.

While some leaders were released in the first two months of the year -- purportedly after signing a bond not to speak against the abrogation of Article 370 -- the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic hastened the release of many others including Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah in March.

However, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti remained in incarceration for the longest period -- 14 months -- and was released only in October, just ahead of the DDC polls.

The better part of the year was spent dealing with the COVID outbreak that affected over 1.19 lakh people and claimed nearly 1900 lives.

Anti-corruption agencies intensified probes against mainstream political leaders as Farooq Abdullah had properties worth Rs 11.86 crore attached by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the JK Cricket Association scam while youth PDP leader Waheed Para went behind bars for alleged links with militants.

For the record, Para won the DDC polls, defeating his nearest rival from BJP by a huge margin.

High speed internet on mobile devices remained suspended in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir even after passage 16 months since abrogation of Article 370 as the administration still feels that allowing the service poses a threat to sovereignty and integrity of India.

On the administration front, BJP leader Manoj Joshi replaced Girish ChanderMurmu as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir amid rumours of a rift between the latter and Chief Secretary of the union territory B V R Subrahmanyam.

But the successful conduct of the DDC elections was the highlight of 2020.

However, within hours of final results being declared, opposition parties charged the union territory administration of luring independents to support the BJP or its proxies.

Seven mainstream political parties -- NC, PDP, People's Conference, Awami National Conference, People's Movement CPM and CPI -- cobbled an alliance under the name of People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) with Farooq Abdullah as

its head.

The main purpose of forming the alliance was to strive for restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Even before the alliance could take baby steps, the DDC elections were announced and the PAGD was expected to boycott. But the alliance took the electoral plunge as a grouping.