State Gazette

For quite some time there have been reports, originating from credible sources, that New Delhi was serious in its moves to hold a free and fair election in J&K. There were also reports that attempts were being made to rope in some separatist leaders to lend credibility to the electoral process. In fact, informal talks were going on between some Kashmiri groups, especially Shabir Shah’s Democratic Freedom Party, and New Delhi. Another opening was made by Ram Jethmalani, now convenor of the Kashmir Committee, when he began talking with the Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat and others.According to Hurriyat insiders, there would have been wider participation if the elections were held in March preceded by a spell of President’s rule in the state. But as things stand, all the groundwork has been undone and a question mark hangs over the credibility of the polls.