New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir have few things in common. Both underwent elections to Assemblies and brought to the front new political compulsions. If it was Aam Admi Party which made a clean sweep in Delhi Assembly elections dethroning well established parties like Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party from the husting it was the odd combination of Bharatiya Janata Party and Peoples Democratic Party which emerged front runners ousting National Conference and Congress who remained in tandem for two terms unchallenged. Both Assemblies after high voter turnout gave hung Houses with Jammu and Kashmir going under Governor’s rule while New Delhi remaining for quite a long time under President’s rule and is now scheduled for a re-election in 7th February. Jammu and Kashmir results have put political parties in a difficult situation to find a common agenda of government. Today the most relieved and relaxed person would be the former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who as a caretaker Chief Minister quit creating the political chasm. This entire stand-alone situation created by the parties have widened the alienation and to come out of this all will have to put heads together. It is imperative for the two parties -PDP and BJP-with largest mandate to adopt statesman-like approach and reach at a common agenda to help in restoring the democratic semblance as early as possible, as such an alliance would gain people’s confidence and respect and would be able to avoid the re-election process. One may like it or not but the fact is that regionalism has dominated the poll outcome. These results have thrown a serious challenge to the politicians who are expected to a call by showing their political maturity and sagacity to respect regional mandate which is a harsh reality of the State. The parties may gather numbers to reach the magic figures but the moot point is that whether the parties who got mandate are being sidelined on the pretext of consolidation.
