Engineer Rashid’s party forges ‘strategic alliance’ with banned Jamaat

MP Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) on Sunday announced a “strategic alliance” to “champion the cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Sunday’s decision followed a meeting between the two groups. A statement by Rashid’s party said the party delegation was led by AIP Chief Engineer Rashid and spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani and other prominent Jamaat members.

While Engineer Rashid’s AIP is contesting over 30 seats in the Valley, the Jamaat has fielded 10 candidates as Independents in the poll. Rashid, who was granted interim bail by a Delhi court to campaign for the elections, has been accused by political parties in the Valley of being the BJP’s proxy. Rashid, however, has denied the charge.

AIP in a statement said the two groups also underscored the importance of “unity in resolving the Kashmir issue and promoting a lasting and dignified peace in the region.”

“They highlighted the rapidly evolving political landscape, both regionally and internationally, and stressed that neither JEI nor AIP can afford to remain passive observers,” it said.

Shameem Ahmad Thoker, who is chief election incharge of banned Jamaat confirmed to The Tribune that both groups have formed an alliance.

“At the core of the meeting was the current political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, with both sides emphasising the need to work together in the larger interest of the region’s population,” the statement said.

It said after “comprehensive deliberations”, it was agreed that AIP would support JEI-backed candidates in Kulgam and Pulwama. Similarly, JEI will throw its support behind AIP candidates across Kashmir, the statement said.

According to the AIP, it was decided that in areas where both AIP and JEI have fielded candidates, the alliance has agreed to a “friendly contest,” particularly in constituencies like Langate, Devsar and Zainapora. “In other constituencies, mutual support will be extended to ensure a unified approach to the elections,” the statement said.

On Sunday, the leadership of both the parties also called “upon their cadres to spread the message of support for each other’s candidates in line with the agreement.”

Experts in the Valley, meanwhile, say that while it is difficult to predict whether the new alliance would translate into seats, it is likely that the alliance would deepen the fragmentation of votes.