Now Reading: Justice and Development Front gains visibility but no electoral base in Kashmir
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Justice and Development Front gains visibility but no electoral base in Kashmir
Justice and Development Front gains visibility but no electoral base in Kashmir
The Justice and Development Front (JDF), a breakaway from the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, has gained visibility in Kashmir but failed to win any Assembly seats in 2024. In June, JDF general secretary Sayar…
The Story in Brief
The Justice and Development Front (JDF), a breakaway from the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, has gained visibility in Kashmir but failed to win any Assembly seats in 2024. In June, JDF general secretary Sayar Ahmad Reshi walked alongside Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a government anti-drug march. The JDF was formally recognised by the Election Commission in January 2026. Its parent organisation, Jamaat, has not contested elections since 1987, when allegations of rigging marred the polls. The JDF is now trying to occupy the political space left by Jamaat, but its independent support base remains unclear.
The Indian Opinion
The JDF’s walk alongside the LG makes it look like a government-favoured alternative to the banned Jamaat. But the narrative of a new political force is thin. The 2024 election results show zero seats won, and votes in the low thousands. The real test is whether the JDF can win a single local body seat or even a panchayat. Until then, its visibility is borrowed from the old Jamaat network, not built anew.
Source: deccanherald.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
