The recently concluded Assembly elections have sprung surprises in Jammu and Kashmir getting hung house while Jharkhand getting its first BJP majority government. But for a change J&K gave the surprise to the saffron party for the first time on the political history of the state a Muslim candidate winning the election on BJP ticket trumpeting over a Hindu contestant of National Conference in Kalakote Assembly segment of Rajouri district. Before this Sheikh Abdul Rehman had won Jammu East seat in 1972 elections on the ticket of the then Bharatiya Jan Sang. In Jharkhand, BJP carved out an emphatic victory after the state has seen nine different governments and three spells of President’s rule in its fourteen years of existence. Despite mineral-rich dominated by scheduled tribes the State hardly saw any development and this alienation gave enough ground to Naxals to become popular among tribal population. First signs of political realignment were visible in the Lok Sabha elections when BJP made inroads into 28 Assembly segments reserved for Scheduled Tribes and another nine for Scheduled Castes. That trend seems to have changed now as the state will have a stable government with BJP on the saddle. On the other hand electoral debacle for the Congress has added to its miseries further with defeat in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand. The defeats once again have deepened the impression that party is yet to come out of morass that it found itself in after the rout in Lok Sabha elections where its tally fell abysmal 44 from 206 seats it had won in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Now coming to the hopes of the country and people of the state, one cannot but surmise that all well meaning people hope for outcome that is consistent with general atmosphere in the country for good governance, development, security and jobs. Hopes as opposed to wishes that are rather personal and often times fictional, are based on expectations of positive outcomes from events and circumstances in one’s life, society or even world at large. The mandate is clear people want change and responsive governance where their problems can be addressed right earnestly by combating issues like corruption, unemployment and rising prices thus delivering economic progress.
