Centripetal Winning Over Centrifugal This Election

If every election has a sentiment, for me 2024 was about those forces pulling country toger proving stronger and winning over those that sought to pull apart. 

BUT for 60 odd seats of phase seven, 2024 general elections are pretty much over. Sixth phase continued good news from Kashmir. Anantnag-Rajouri seat that voted Saturday recorded its highest turnout post 1987. At over 50 per cent, participation was more than Mathura where Hema Malini couldn’t break voter ennui. Baramulla in North Kashmir h voted more than all six seats of Mumbai metropolitan region in fifth phase polling.  

Also in Kashmir, Maulvi Umar Farooq – whose Friday sermons from Jama Masjid would be followed by weekly stone pelting ritual till 2019 - appealed for all to vote this election. GM Hubbi, former general secretary of erstwhile United Hurriyat Conference – once an acolyte of Syed Ali Shah Gilani of Hartal calendars fame - said he would go out and vote. “Can’t claim to represent people if we don’t face hustings,” he is quoted as saying. Hubbi was once part of gang that, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, would bring out hartal calendars disrupting normal life in valley. Also in Kashmir, Jamaat e Islami announced its intentions to participate in democracy. y might get to do it soon. A big story missed in campaign din was that Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) did not mention restoration of Article 370 in its manifesto!

From Kashmir to central India

 On Friday, Naxal groups in Chhattisgarh announced through a press release that y were rey for unconditional talks with government. This comes on back of a relentless crackdown that has targeted armed Naxal units in Abujhmand area of Chhattisgarh, eliminating over 120 of m in encounters, after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in State in last year’s December elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah me it his campaign pitch that left wing extremism would be fully eliminated from country in early third term of Modi government. For first time since independence, 56 Bastar villages h a polling booth. In Palamu, 11 villages abutting Budha Pah area voted for first times since formation of state of Jharkhand.

Let's go to Darjeeling in east

Almost after three deces issue of a separate state was silent with leers and electorate alike. Gorkhaland protagonists – from Subhash Ghisingh protege Bimal Gurung to Vinay Tamang and Anit Thapa – all eir fed or got coopted by mainstream political parties. Only in 2017 region h seen 104 days of violence on separate statehood issue. Gurung, who led those protests, was seen campaigning for BJP in hills this election. Both Tamang and Thapa have served as hes of Gorkhaland Territorial ministration (GTA) since and got absorbed in Trinamool fold.

While entire narrative down South, particularly in Tamil Nu, was about BJP’s inros riding a Modi push and an Annamalai wave, what caught my attention was little known Bahujan Dravid Party (BDP) heed by a Tamil – Jeevan Singh Malla. Born Devendra Kula Vellar in Tamil Nu, Malla converted to Sikhism and is contesting from Hoshiarpur in Punjab!

If every election has a sentiment, for me 2024 was about centrifugal forces – those pulling country toger – proving stronger and winning over centripetal – those that sought to pull apart. You need an x-ray when you are sick. An MRI is needed to diagnose an even more serious illness. When one goes for an x-ray or MRI, state of mind is generally negative and re’s that feeling of being down in dumps. As a society are we down in dumps? Like really feeling low? If not, n you connect dots with examples above and you would get an exit poll. exact one is anyway just 10 days away!