Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, 1987

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, 1987

23 March 1987
all 76 seats in Legislative Assembly 39 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	74.9%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Farooq Abdullah Party JKN INC Muslim United Front Leader since Syed Ali Shah Geelani Last election 46 Seats won 40 26 4 Seat change 6 26   Fourth party   Party BJP Last election 0 4 Seats won 2 3 Seat change 2
Chief Minister before election Farooq Abdullah JKN Elected Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah JKN

Elections for the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir were held on 23 March 1987. Farooq Abdullah was reappointed as the Chief Minister.^[1]

The election is widely believed to be rigged.^[2][3][4][5] This led to Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir post that elections and Exodus of lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits.^[6] Later, Indian general election, 1989 saw less than 10 percent voting in Kashmir valley. According to official figures, the polling stood at marginal 5 percent in Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha segments.^[7] Thereafter,President rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir from 1990 to 1996.^[8] 1987 election in a way was a watershed in the politics of the Jammu and Kashmir state.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Background

See also: Rise of the separatist movement and Islamism in Kashmir (1984-1986)

Four months after the assumption of power by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, fresh elections were held for the State Assembly on 23 March 1987 which were contested by the Congress-I and the NC, in coalition. Before the elections, various anti-establishment groups including Jamaat-e-Islami joined hands to form a Muslim United Front (MUF) mainly pointing out that the NC had capitulated before the Centre for the sake of power and bartered away the special status of the State. Efforts were made to arouse Muslim sentiments along communal lines. MUF's election manifesto stressed the need for a solution to all outstanding issues according to Simla Agreement, work for Islamic unity and against political interference from the centre. Their slogan was wanting the law of the Quran in the Assembly.^[13]

The NC-Congress(I) combine contested all the 76 seats and the MUF, 43 seats.^[14][15]

Voting and rigging

In 1987 when Muslim United Front, largely current Hurriyat, believed that it would win the elections in the Kashmir Valley, its leaders were in touch with the then BJP leaders in Jammu to form a coalition government in Srinagar. There was highest recorded participation in this election. Nearly eighty per cent of the people in the Valley voted. But, the elections were heavily rigged changing the course of politics in the state. The MUF got four seats, even though it had polled 31% votes, and the BJP won two seats.^[16][1][17] Syed Ali Shah Geelani was able to win the election from his Sopore seat.^[18] In the absence of rigging, commentators believe that the MUF could have won fifteen to twenty seats,^[19] a contention admitted by the National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.^[20] Scholar Sumantra Bose, on the other hand, believes that the MUF would have won most of the constituencies in the Kashmir Valley.^[21] Many see this rigged election as a cause of militancy in Kashmir.^[22] Elections for Bhadrawah, Leh and Kargil were held in June 1983, which was also won by the Congress-NC alliance.

BBC reported that Khem Lata Wukhloo, who was a leader of the Congress party at the time, admitted the widespread rigging in Kashmir. He stated:

"I remember that there was a massive rigging in 1987 elections. The losing candidates were declared winners. It shook the ordinary people's faith in the elections and the democratic process."^[23]

Government Formation

The NC-Congress alliance won 66 seats.^[17] This led to widespread allegations of rigging and misuse of power. Allegations of malpractices and rigging led to the disillusionment of Kashmiris. Accompanied by rampant corruption by coalition, the government failed to administer the State effectively. In this environment, secessionist and subversive elements started claiming that they had been denied democratic rights illegally and began justifying a recourse to unconstitutional and other methods. It was in this environment that Pakistan encouraged Kashmiri youth to come across the Line of Control and receive arms training to begin an armed secessionist movement.^[24]

See also

• Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
• Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus
• Kashmir conflict

• All Parties Hurriyat Conference
• Syed Ali Shah Geelani

References