Jammu and Kashmir heading for central rule

The havoc wreaked by unprecedented floods is weighing heavy on the minds of central leaders to delay Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections originally scheduled in November-December, to allow constitution of the new House by January 19, 2015. The Election Commission on Wednesday cancelled its visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the poll preparedness in view of the floods.

The home ministry is awaiting its home secretary Anil Goswami who was in Srinagar on Thursday to file a report of extent of devastation and rehabilitation. Sources in the government say elections may now take place in May-June.

This will restore the usual practice of holding the Assembly elections only in summer that was disrupted in 2008 when it necessitated polls in December to beat the Governor's rule imposed after the Peoples Democratic Party pulled out of the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led government.

A home ministry official said all government officials would be busy with massive rehabilitation work and hence would not be available for poll duty in November. The damage is extensive and will require at least six months of relief and rehabilitation work, the official said.

Winter sets in by December and as such the elections are difficult thereafter. In some areas like Drass, the coldest habitat after Siberia where temperatures plument to minus 30-50. He said the government will consult the Election Commission before initiating the process for directing the governor to proceed with imposing the Governor's rule. Under Article 92 of the J&K Constitution, the Centre cannot impose President's rule directly as it stipulates Governor's rule for first six months followed by President's rule, if situation warrants.

Prime minister Narendra Modi is believed to have shared his concern with the BJP colleagues in the Central Election Committee meeting on Tuesday. His idea is to turn this adversity into an opportunity for the party as he has the experience of rehabilitation work undertaken after the 2002 earthquake in Gujarat. He already has PK Misra in the PMO as the additional principal secretary who is an expert in disaster management. He told members of a delegation of BJP's Kashmir unit that he visualises creating smart villages and localities and refurbishing water bodies, which had been made extinct.

Imposition of the Governor's rule is entirely in the hands of governor NN Vohra, a former bureaucrat. Senior BJP leader Amolak Rathan Kohli, former governor of Mizoram is vying to replace Vohra. A governor with the BJP background may give political advantage to the party, particularly since he will be in command of the entire administration put into the relief and rehabilitation operations. The RSS has quietly sent its team to work with the Army and central forces in the rehabilitation work as it believes that may help the BJP make inroads in the Valley in the elections.