JAMMU AND KASHMIR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS: POLITICAL PROCESSES AND PEOPLES ASPIRATIONS

Abstract

The objective of this study is to highlight the processes of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly elections and to explore the expectations of people regarding these elections. The assembly elections in J&K were held on a regular basis from 1951 when Constituent Assembly of J&K was framed. The people, as well as the communal parties of J&K, actively participated in these elections till the 1990s like the other states of the country. They raised their problems through democratic ways and wanted solutions through these ways. They also expected the solution of J&K problem through Democratic ways. The rigidness of these elections process by incumbent parties and by the Central government not only kept away them from participating in these elections but they also lost faith in the democratic processes. From the 1990s the insurgency started in J&K. The people, as well as communal parties, actively supported it which also resulted in the decrease in people’s participation in elections of J&K. Subsequently, from 2002 the elections were considered free and fair by almost all parties, but it could not bring back the communal parties into contesting elections. Nowadays the participation of people gradually increased in assembly elections of the state which is really a good sign for the democratic process in J&K. The study will try to unfold the reasons behind these developments in democratic processes in the state of J&K.