Yearender 2024: Omar's Promise Of Erstwhile Jammu And Kashmir

After taking oath as the chief minister in the first elected government in J&K UT, Omar Abdullah is facing a stiff challenge on multiple fronts.

Srinagar: After suffering a significant defeat in Lok Sabha elections from north Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency, Omar Abdullah vowed his party will form the first government in the union territory. This ambitious confidence alongside declaring to contest the polls against his vow of not contesting the elections in Union Territory took many aback.

It was August and the election commission of India had just announced the maiden election for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after a hiatus of 10 long years. This includes more than six years of direct central government rule particularly after the erstwhile state was downgraded and bifurcated into two union territories on 5 August 2019. Ladakh was split off as a separate union territory.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi (ANI)

Some called his confidence wildly unrealistic while others were optimistic of his success. But Abdullah proved his detractors wrong after scripting history in the 90-member legislative assembly polls witnessing a record over 63 percent and marked without violence. The National Conference won 42 seats, the first landmark performance ever since the 57 seats in the polls which were largely overshadowed by violence and alleged coercion of the electorate in the Valley in 1996.

In the last five years, the Bharatiya Janata Party led central government attempted to defeat the National Conference in the polls, says Omar Abdullah after the stunning victory. He listed delimitation of constituencies in 2022 and amendment to J&K reservation policy for inclusion of more groups including Paharis into reservation quota aimed at benefiting the saffron party in the polls.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha with Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Vice President Omar Abdullah and NC leaders Surinder Chaudhary, Sakina Ittoo, Javed Rana, Javed Dar and Satish Sharma during the swearing-in ceremony of new J&K government, at SKICC in Srinagar (ANI)

But Abdullah, who took over as the first chief minister, felt curious about BJP's impressive mandate in Jammu amid reports of mounting public anger there. The party failed to foray into the Valley but it swept Jammu with 29 seats (out of 43), an increase from the previous 25 seats in 2014. It scored the highest votes among the parties bagging around 26 percent.

Two months into the government, the unease is quite palpable in the face of the two competing power centers including the ‘powerful’ Lieutenant Governor. The schism was evident at multiple occasions with the duo avoiding sharing the stage in the last close to two months. Unlike the past one-day affair, for example, the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) prolonged its foundation day through a week with two events marked on two separate days for the chief minister and the LG Manoj Sinha.

This growing friction has found its way into administrative decision making as well. Several decisions including restoring holiday on the birth anniversary of NC founder and former J&K Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on December 5 this year still awaits nod from the LG.

“We will not only announce a holiday on the Sheikh sahib’s anniversary but will also announce more decisions including martyrs’ day (July 13) holiday,” says NC Kashmir chief Showkat Ahmad Mir.

But it might follow once the ‘business rules’ mandated to distinguish the powers of the LG and Chief Minister are okayed. It will follow the report from the three-member panel of J&K ministers to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

This comes amid high expectations from the people with all eyes on the promises of the National Conference manifesto including the key demand of restoration of statehood. Abdullah submitted the resolution for statehood passed in the maiden cabinet on October 19 to Prime Minister and Home Minister, believing it will be restored in the Parliament session by the year-end. But seeing negligible development amid the pressure building from public and political opponents, he has hinted at fighting ‘big battle’ for regaining the statehood.

“We are hoping that the promise made by PM Modi with the people of J&K during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections about restoration of statehood will be fulfilled,” says Abdullah. “They (people) made the Assembly polls successful, hoping that the promise made to them on restoration of statehood will be fulfilled.”

A government functionary noted that they are now readying the first budget to fulfil the party’s pledges listed in the poll document. This includes 200 units of electricity, hiking the ration quota besides free education to women up to university and providing 12 LPG cylinders to the economically weaker sections each year for free.

The government might be able to accomplish this welfare task hinged on the monetary provision but many argue that political promises like restoration of statehood will be key for Abdullah to strengthen relationships with the public. This can also effectively bridge the trust deficit between centre and state relations, helping the latter to have a good hold on the ground, says a former senior security official, who served in Kashmir.

Academic Radha Kumar, who was one of the three former interlocutors appointed by the central government on J&K during Omar’s previous term in 2010, concedes. She sees denial of restoration of statehood can set in dissatisfaction with consequences that may include renewed militancy in the region.

“In general I would say there would be two priorities: to establish an accessible and accountable administration and to regain statehood in order to achieve the first and pave the way to discuss restoring special status,” she said.

Kumar noted that currently Abdullah government appears to be going out of its way to give the Modi administration leeway but does not see this approach can be sustained if New Delhi does not reciprocate.

Ahead of the election, the new transaction of business rules has made the friction inevitable as it vested all the powers in LG. “Now it is up to him (LG) to consult and accommodate the elected administration. But he seems reluctant to do so,” Kumar added.