Elections for the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir were held over June 1977,[1] which are generally regarded as the first 'free and fair' elections in the state.[2] Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, newly revived from the former Plebiscite Front, won an overwhelming majority and re-elected Sheikh Abdullah as the Chief Minister.[3]
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all 76 seats in Legislative Assembly 39 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 67.2% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background edit
After reaching the 1974 Indira-Sheikh accord, Sheikh Abdullah was elected as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir by the ruling Indian National Congress party in the state legislature (which had in fact been the original National Conference founded by Abdullah in 1930s but merged into Congress before the 1967 elections). Abdullah remained in power during the National Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975. After the Emergency was lifted, the Janata Party came to power in the Centre in the 1977 general election.[4]
Elections were called for the state Legislative Assembly in June 1977. Sheikh Abdullah now revived the National Conference from the erstwhile Plebiscite Front. The National Conference and Congress met head-on as equals, the first time such an electoral contest occurred since the State's Accession in 1947. The Prime Minister Morarji Desai (of the Janata Party) took steps to strengthen security in the state and declared that any rigging would be severely punished. This had a 'salutary effect' in the political atmosphere in the state witnessing its first 'free and fair' election.[5]
The revival of the National Conference was greeted with great enthusiasm in the Kashmir Valley. In the words of Kashmiri, "the entire valley was red with N. C. flags. Every house and every market stood decorated with bunting."[2]
Results edit
The National Conference won the majority in the Assembly with 47 of the 76 seats.[6] Whereas it won 40 of the 42 seats in the Kashmir Valley, it was able to win only 7 seats out of 32 in the Jammu province.[7]
The Indian National Congress (former National Conference, which had been in power since the State's accession) was reduced to third place, winning 11 seats in Jammu and none in the Valley.[7]
The Janata Party (which had incorporated the former Jammu Praja Parishad) won 13 seats, its best performance so far. In addition to 11 seats in Jammu, it won 2 seats in the Valley for the first time.[7]
Also significant is the fact that Jamaat-e-Islami won only one seat, down from 5 seats in the previous Assembly.[6]
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | 807,166 | 46.22 | 47 | 0 | |
| Janata Party | 414,259 | 23.72 | 13 | New | |
| Indian National Congress | 294,911 | 16.89 | 11 |  47 | |
| Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir | 62,654 | 3.59 | 1 | 4 | |
| Others | 1,903 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 | |
| Independents | 165,477 | 9.48 | 4 |  1 | |
| Total | 1,746,370 | 100.00 | 76 | 1 | |
| Valid votes | 1,746,370 | 96.80 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 57,734 | 3.20 | |||
| Total votes | 1,804,104 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 2,684,992 | 67.19 | |||
| Source: ECI[8] | |||||
Elected members edit
| Constituency | Reserved for (SC/None) |
Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karnah | None | Ghulam Qadir Mir | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Handwara | None | Abdul Gani Lone | Janata Party | |
| Langet | None | Mohammad Sultan Ganai | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Kupwara | None | Assad Ullah Shah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Bandipora | None | Mohamad Khalil | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Sonawari | None | Abdul Aziz Parry | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Pattan | None | Abdul Rashid Shaheen | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Gulmarg | None | Mohmad Akbar Lone | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Sangrama | None | Ghulam Rasool | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Sopore | None | Syed Ali Shah Geelani | Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir | |
| Refibad | None | Mohammad Dillawar Mir | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Baramulla | None | Ghulam Ud Din Shah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Uri | None | Mohd. Shafi | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Kangan | None | Bashir Ahmad | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Ganderbal | None | Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Hazaratbal | None | Hissa Ud Din | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Amirakadal | None | Gulam Mohi Ud Din Shah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Habakadal | None | Ghulam Mohammad Butt | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Zainakadal | None | Molvi Mohd. Yasin Hamdani | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Idgah | None | Abdul Rashid Kabli | Janata Party | |
| Zadibal | None | Ghulam Ahmad Shunthoo | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Nagin | None | Abdus Samad Teli | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Beerwah | None | Ahmad Saeed | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Khan Sahib | None | Hakim Mohammed Yasin Shah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Badgam | None | Ghulam Hussain Geelani | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Chadura | None | Abdul Samad Mir | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Chari Sharif | None | Abdul Rahim Rather | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Pulwama | None | Mohammad Ibrahim Dar | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Pampore | None | Malik Mohi Ud Din | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Tral | None | Mohd. Subhan Bhat | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Wachi | None | Ghulam Qadir Wani | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Shopian | None | Sheikh Modh. Mansoor | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Noorabad | None | Walimohd Itoo | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Devsar | None | Ghulam Nabi Kochak | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Kulgam | None | Ghulam Nabi Dar | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Homshalibug | None | Abdul Salam Deva | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Pahalgam | None | Piyaree Lal Handoo | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Bijbehara | None | Agdul Gani Shah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Anantnag | None | Mirza Mohd Afzal Beg | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Shawngas | None | Mohd. Ashraf Khan | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Kokernag | None | Malik Ghulam Ud Din | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Doru | None | Haji Abdul Gani Khan | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Leh | None | Sonam Narboo | Indian National Congress | |
| Kargil | None | Munshi Habibullah | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Kishtwar | None | Bashir Ahmed Kichloo | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Inderwal | None | Ghulam Mohd Sheikh | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Bhadarwah | SC | Narain Dass | Janata Party | |
| Doda | None | Gulam Qadir Wani | Janata Party | |
| Ramban | None | Prem Nath | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Banihal | None | Molvi Abdul Rashid | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Gulabgarh | None | Haji Buland Khan | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Reasi | None | Rishi Kumar Kaushal | Janata Party | |
| Udhampur | None | Shiv Charan | Independent | |
| Chenani Ghordi | None | Bhim Singh | Indian National Congress | |
| Ramnagar | SC | Prithvi Chand | Janata Party | |
| Samba | None | Dhayan Singh | Independent | |
| Bari Brahminan | SC | Gurbachan Kumari | Janata Party | |
| Bishna | SC | Parma Nand | Indian National Congress | |
| Ranbir Singh Pura | None | Janak Raj | Indian National Congress | |
| Jammu Cantonment | None | Parduman Singh | Indian National Congress | |
| Jammu West | None | Harbans Lal Bhagotra | Janata Party | |
| Jammu East | None | Ram Nath Bhalgotra | Janata Party | |
| Jandrah Gharota | None | Dhan Raj | Janata Party | |
| Marh | SC | Tulsi Ram | Janata Party | |
| Akhnoor | None | Dharam Pal | Indian National Congress | |
| Chhamb | None | Ram Nath | Independent | |
| Basohli | None | Mangat Ram | Indian National Congress | |
| Bhillawar | None | Dhian Singh | Janata Party | |
| Kathua | SC | Dhain Chand | Janata Party | |
| Hiranagar | None | Girdhari Lal Dogra | Indian National Congress | |
| Nowshera | None | Beli Ram | Indian National Congress | |
| Darhal | None | Mohd. Hussain | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
| Rajouri | None | Talib Hussain | Indian National Congress | |
| Suran | None | Mohd. Aslam | Indian National Congress | |
| Mendhar | None | Rafiq Hissain Khan | Independent | |
| Haveli | None | Ghulam Ahmed | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
Government formation edit
Sheikh Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the State following the election. Mirza Afzal Beg was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir .
By the end of the 1970s, the seventy-year-old Sheikh Abdullah anointed his son Farooq Abdullah as his successor. Following Sheikh's death in 1982, Farooq Abdullah was appointed as the Chief Minister. The National Conference government completed a full five-year term.[9]
Before his death, Sheikh Abdullah initiated a controversial 'Grant of Permit for Resettlement' bill in the State's Legislative Assembly. As per the bill, any state subject of Jammu and Kashmir before 14 May 1954 or any of his descendants could apply for resettlement in the State provided they swore allegiance to both the Indian Constitution and the Constitution of the State. The bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly after Sheikh's death, but it aroused fears among the Hindus of Jammu that Pakistani sympathizers and agents could cross into the State and create tensions. The Central government forced Farooq Abdullah to refer the bill to the Supreme Court of India where it has been put into cold storage.[10]
Commentary edit
All the elections held in Jammu and Kashmir before 1977 were plagued with corrupt electoral practices.[11] The elections of 1977 represented a 'democratic breakthrough', according to scholar Steve Widmalm. Politician Bhim Singh stated, 'Morarji Desai openly declared that anyone who would attempt to pursue some form of rigging would be severely punished, and this was quite effective'. The Congress party in the Central Government has therefore been regarded as an obstacle to the State's democratic functioning. The party regarded Jammu and Kashmir to be a sensitive border state, which was not 'ready for democracy'. Building Indian nationalism was considered far more important. Activist Balraj Puri has disagreed with the sentiment. In his view, democratic functioning was indeed a prerequisite to integration and national unity. As a result of the democratization process, he has asserted that there were ten years of peace with 'no fundamentalism, no secessionism, and no communalism'. JKLF's Amanullah Khan has also endorsed the assessment. The observers he sent to the Kashmir Valley during the early 1980s reported that the situation was not conducive to inciting a rebellion.[12] Journalist Tavleen Singh who covered the subsequent Assembly election in 1983 asked people wherever she went whether they regarded the plebiscite as an issue. 'Almost everywhere the answer was an emphatic no. People said that the past was dead and they were participating in this election as Indians,' she recounted.[13]
References edit
- ^ 1977 J&K elections
- ^ a b Guha, India after Gandhi 2008, Section 23.III.
- ^ Statistical report J&K 1977
- ^ Guha, India after Gandhi 2008, Chapter 23.
- ^ Widmalm, The Rise and Fall of Democracy in Jammu and Kashmir 1997, pp. 1006–1007; Widmalm, Kashmir in Comparative Perspective 2002, pp. 57–58
- ^ a b Widmalm, The Rise and Fall of Democracy in Jammu and Kashmir 1997, p. 1007.
- ^ a b c Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, pp. 89–90.
- ^ "Jammu & Kashmir 1977". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, p. 90.
- ^ Schofield, Kashmir in Conflict 2003, pp. 129–130.
- ^ Widmalm, Kashmir in Comparative Perspective 2002, p. 57.
- ^ Widmalm, Kashmir in Comparative Perspective 2002, pp. 57–61.
- ^ Schofield, Kashmir in Conflict 2003, p. 131.
Bibliography edit
- Bose, Sumantra (2003), Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-01173-2
- Guha, Ramachandra (2008), India after Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy, Pan Macmillan, ISBN 978-0330396110
- Schofield, Victoria (2003) [First published in 2000], Kashmir in Conflict, London and New York: I. B. Taurus & Co, ISBN 1860648983
- Widmalm, Sten (November 1997), "The Rise and Fall of Democracy in Jammu and Kashmir", Asian Survey, 37 (11): 1005–1030, doi:10.2307/2645738, JSTOR 2645738
- Widmalm, Sten (2002), Kashmir in Comparative Perspective: Democracy and Violent Separatism in India, Psychology Press, ISBN 978-0-7007-1578-7