The TV set was tucked in a corner of this blue-painted room. And there was a crowd in front of it. Channels were being flipped and even the security staff were watching the results with keen interest. Former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad wore a broad smile. But that was only in the framed picture. Throughout the day, Azad looked tense, either walking in the lawn of his official residence or else discussing the results with party leaders behind closed doors.

As it started to become clear that the state was destined for a hung verdict, Azad made it known he was not a happy man. “It is more fractured a mandate than that of the 2002 elections. This unfortunate mandate is not good for the people of the state,” Azad said.

Azad said that in view of the rising tension between India and Pakistan following the Mumbai terror attacks, Jammu and Kashmir needs a stable government. “We have a long history with a hostile neighbour that has been determined to bring about the disintegration of the state for the past 20 years. In such a situation, the state needs a strong government which can withstand the pressures from across the border while advancing on the road to development,” the former CM said.

On the BJP’s performance in Jammu, Azad showed dismay. “The BJP has won, but Jammu has lost,” he told The Indian Express on Sunday.

“The BJP has taken total advantage of the Amarnath land agitation. This was the only issue it raised in the elections. The performance of the Congress was based on the fact that it created infrastructure in the state. The party brought normalcy in the state. The BJP has eaten up our seats on a religious card,” Azad said.

... contd.