Jammu-Kashmir: With former members in election fray, banned Jamaat Islami seeks political comeback
Image for representational purpose
In a significant development inJammu and Kashmir, the former Jamaat-e-Islami members have started filing their nominations for the upcoming assembly elections in the Union Territory. Jamaat Islami was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2019 for five years and the ban was extended for five more years in 2024.
Jamaat-e-Islami has been against the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir for the last three decades. But it seems that after the ban, the Jamaat leaders have decided to fight the upcoming assembly elections as independent candidates in the Valley.
Several former Jamaat leaders and members have started filing nominations in the upcoming elections. Three Jamaat leaders filed the nominations for the first phase of assembly elections to be held on September 18.
"I was working with the government and since 2008 I became a part of politics and with regard to geopolitics. We need to see Kashmir from the prism of GeoPolitics and that's how I got interested in it. Jamaat Islami has a very important role and looking at the situation, we as Kashmiris have to think about the future and how to make it bright. Past has not given or yielded anything, and we lost what we even had so we need to work for our future. I was associated with Jamaat Islami from 2002 to 2014,"saidTalat Majeed,Pulwama.
In South Kashmir's Kulgam District,Nazir Ahmad Bhat, a former member of Jamaat-e-Islami filed his nomination for the Devsar Assembly constituency.
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"There was a lot of injustice here. Last year, my two nephews were arrested, and despite seeking help from many leaders, no one helped. At that time, I decided to serve the people. There was fear of rigging in the parliamentary elections, but it didn’t happen, which gave me the courage to contest. That was the time I decided to fight, and I will make sure to win. I was associated with Jamaat because I used to attend their functions,"saidNazir Ahmad Bhat, a former member of Jamaat-e-Islami.
However, Omar Abdullah took a dig at Jamaat and said that till now contesting elections was “haram” for the JeI, but now it's “halal”.
"Till now contesting elections was 'haram'for the JeI, but now it's 'Halal'. If they are willing to contest polls, it's a welcome step. We wanted them to contest on their own symbol, but that didn’t happen due to its ban,” saidOmar Abdullah, vice president ofthe National Conference (NC).
Meanwhile, PDP President and Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti hit out at Abdullah and reacted to the comments made by DrFarooq Abdullah regarding the Jamaat's behind-the-scenes support for the PDP.
Mufti said "It’s not the first time that National Conference and Congress have come together to fight against JEI," recalling the rigging incidents in the 1987 elections that led to the start of terrorism in the region.
Now what remains interesting is who these former Jamaat candidates will support during the formation of the government.
