Will pollsters get it right this time in Kashmir?

While caste, religion and region could play an important role in the Lok Sabha polls in the Jammu and the Ladakh regions, politics in the predominantly Muslim majority Valley is driven by mainstream and separatist forces.

Besides religious considerations, there are large numbers of tribal Gujjar and Pahari voters in both the Jammu region and the Valley.

Although voters in the state understand the power of their democratic right to usher in and oust governments, what could ultimately decide the fate of winners and losers is believed to be the regional and personal images of the contestants.

There is a general feeling in the Valley that the ruling coalition has not lived up to the expectations of the people yet this has not translated into a pro-opposition wave.

Voters openly speak about the disappointment with functionaries and ministers of the ruling coalition but are also not expressly saying their inevitable choice is to bring in either the PDP or the BJP.