Why are independent candidates in headlines in J&K elections?
A large number of independent candidates are contesting on the 50 seats for which elections are to be held in the first two phases of the kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>jammu and kashmir assembly elections. Will independent candidates spoil the game of the major political parties of kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>jammu and kashmir this time or will these people prove to be just vote cutters? If the National Conference and the People's Democratic party are to be believed, independent candidates are being made to contest elections to harm them. All of them have either been planted by agencies or are representatives of the BJP.
People's Democratic party chief mehbooba mufti has attacked independent candidates and other unregistered parties and termed them as representatives of the BJP. Mehbooba, who is campaigning for her daughter and other candidates in South kashmir, alleged that all these candidates have been fielded by the BJP.
If they win, they will play the role of kingmaker!
Let us tell you that the nomination process for the first two phases of voting has been completed. 214 independent candidates are contesting in the first two phases. More than 44 percent of the total candidates in the first two phases are independent candidates. It is believed that if some of these independents win the elections, they can play the role of kingmakers in the formation of the government.
The independent candidates include Awami Ittehad party (AIP) led by jailed mp Engineer Abdul Rashid Sheikh, banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI), dissidents and rebels of the main political parties, as well as many jailed political prisoners and people from the minority community.