Jammu and Kashmir’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), led by MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, has announced a pre-poll alliance with former members of the now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir (JEI) ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The elections will mark the first such polls in the region since the abrogation of Article 370, which previously granted special status to the state, by the Modi government in 2019. The elections are scheduled in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with results expected on October 8.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had initially banned JEI in 2019 for its alleged involvement in activities prejudicial to national security. The ban was further extended for another five years earlier this year. Despite this, several key figures from the organisation are set to contest the Assembly elections as independent candidates.
In preparation for the elections, the Awami Ittehad Party and Jamaat-e-Islami have forged an understanding whereby AIP has agreed to support JEI-backed candidates in specific constituencies like Kulgam and Pulwama.
Conversely, JEI members will lend their backing to AIP candidates across Kashmir. In constituencies where both parties have fielded candidates, they have opted for what has been described as a "friendly contest," signalling that both parties are prioritising broader electoral goals over rivalry.
This development comes shortly after Sheikh was released from Delhi’s Tihar Jail, where he had been held since August 2019 in connection with a terror-funding case. He was granted bail until October 2 to participate in the campaign. Sheikh, a prominent MP from Baramulla, has vowed to challenge the narrative of “Naya Kashmir” promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The upcoming Assembly elections are anticipated to be a crucial political event for the region, with the AIP-JEI alliance aiming to secure representation that reflects the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir’s residents.