Modi´s Hindu nationalists eye power in Kashmir

TRAL: As armed police in bullet-proof vests patrolled the tense streets of Kahmir , Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Avatar Singh forecast victory for the Hindu nationalists in upcoming elections.

"My godfather Modi Ji´s development initiatives make me confident that I will win," Singh said, referring to India´s new BJP prime minister while out canvassing in the town of Tral last Thursday.

Just hours later, three suspected separatist rebels were shot dead in a stark reminder of the tensions in the picturesque Himalayan region.

About a dozen rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces since 1989 for Kashmir´s independence or for its merger with Pakistan. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in the violence.

So the idea of Prime Minister Narendra Modi´s BJP taking even a share of power in Kashmir would have been unthinkable only a few months ago.

But Modi´s landslide May general election win and a meltdown in support for the incumbent chief minister after deadly floods in September have given the BJP hope of a breakthrough. Separatist hardliners have called for boycott of the vote, a move that could play to the BJP´s advantage.

Voting begins in the five-phase election on Tuesday, with results due on December 23.

Analysts say the BJP is almost certain to fall short of an outright majority in the 87-member assembly.

But they also say it has drawn up a strategy of military precision to mop up in the Hindu majority Jammu area, and then cut a deal with one of the smaller Muslim parties to become the lead player in a coalition.