Emergence of Jammu as a strong political force has tilted the balance of government formation. Traditionally being Kashmir-centric for all major political decisions including government formation, the elections in Jammu and Kashmir have become speculative. For this fundamental shift the credit goes to Bharatiya Janata Party for raising the role of Jammu after the Assembly elections. The 2014 Assembly elections have brought in the much wanted radical change in the political equation of the State. The situation has come to a stage now without addressing Jammu region’s aspirations forming of new government looks a distant dream. Though all parties are willing to join the bandwagon, the emergence of BJP as the second largest party after PDP has made the bargain tough which is good for Jammu. The failure of BJP winning a single seat in Kashmir did not create any divide on the other hand it only widened the party followers’ base which is positive development. Such a development created by the electoral verdict has also made government formation for the first time a difficult and complicated exercise compared to earlier phases. Now a hard task lies ahead for BJP to address the issues of political alienation and regional discrimination and imbalances, so that the popular mandate which it got riding over incumbency factor can be further utilised for development and prosperity of the region. The verdict also offers an opportunity for BJP to set a new course for the State thus scuttling any move to create a wedge. Now is the time for all stake holders to move beyond sloganeering to practical result oriented journey. There is no exaggeration of the fact if no combination emerges as said by Union Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley party would not hesitate in using the veto power for government formation.
