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Another twist in the tale?

Is there a likelihood of another political experiment in J&K; keep your fingers crossed.
11:24 PM Jul 06, 2025 IST | Anil Anand
Is there a likelihood of another political experiment in J&K; keep your fingers crossed.
another twist in the tale
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Having swept the assembly elections across Kashmir Valley to form a majority government, with the outside support of ally Congress, no one was expecting that the Narendra Modi Government would offer the statehood on platter to the National Conference dispensation headed by Mr Omar Abdullah. Not withstanding the lofty promises made by the party patriarch, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and his son, the chief ministerial nominee at that time, on the issue of statehood and return to pre-August 5, 2019 situation on Article 370 granting special status to the then state, it was expected that a fight was at hand and there will be no easy way out on this contentious issue.

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The National Conference had got a decisive mandate in the Valley, leading to the rout of both Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and BJP, not out of any love for the legacy of the Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, but to keep BJP out of the scene-for obvious reasons- and punish the PDP (read Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s legacy) for bringing Jammu and Kashmir particularly Kashmir to the present situation. Credit goes to Dr Abdullah for having correctly read the public-mind and the underlying strong sentiment with Congress tagging along as a junior partner and becoming more of a liability due to its tattered house. And to his son, current chief minister, Mr Omar Abdullah, for discernible change aimed at changing public perception about him.

The people trusted the father-son duo, more so Omar, and made him victorious from two assembly constituencies. This was significant as only few months back he was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections. Kashmir, like its weather, has no dearth of springing political surprises with Delhi always over-keen to play the ball in making such surprises happen, covertly or overtly.

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There could not have been a more sizzling hot-potato to handle than dealing with the issue of restoration of statehood and getting the poll promises fulfilled. Frustration setting in, both in the mind of the National Conference leadership and the people who had voted them to power on this issue, was but natural as Omar Abdullah government has been perpetually smarting under the pressure of dual-power centres.

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Under the circumstances which are fathomable in the style of functioning of the ruling BJP particularly at the Centre during the last decade or so, as it is not willing to cede even an inch to its political rivals, how should one read a recent statement of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah: “If statehood needs a BJP Chief Minister, I’ll step aside. At least the people of Jammu and Kashmir will get back their statehood. I have read in a newspaper that statehood will be restored but assembly elections would have to be held afresh. Let them do it, who has stopped them.”

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It is both amusing, from the public perspective, and frustrating from the CM’s point-of-view. It raises a vital question: Has the CM thrown-in the towel? Has he started wilting under pressure from his peer group in the National Conference, and the public who, rightly or wrongly, have begun to question his “weak-kneed” approach?

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Even if made in jest, such a statement runs contrary to the democratic spirit and undermining the people’s mandate. Particularly, when National Conference got overwhelming support of the people more on the premise to keep BJP away and little less on issues such as return of statehood.

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The factors that should determine Omar Abdullah’s state of mind (the building pressure); firstly, the public stand taken by his bête noire and party MP from Srinagar, Mr Aga Ruhullah Mehdi- a young, energetic and influential Shia leader particularly on former’s reference to make way for a BJP CM. There is no doubt Mr Mehdi started his tirade against his own leader sooner than expected and at times he looks unreasonable but, perhaps, he thought it was the better way out to remain connected with the public sentiment on the statehood/Article 370 issue, rather than remaining a silent spectator.

He lost no time in reacting to Mr Omar Abdullah’s baffling statement and accused the Union Territory government led by his own party of backing out from the pre-poll promise in regard to restoration of statehood and Article 370.

In an interview to a national English Daily, Mr Mehdi’s views were sought on whether the CM was adopting a pragmatic approach by offering Chief Ministership to BJP and talking only about statehood and not restoration of the special status (Article 370). He is on record having opposed the approach of his own party Chief Minister, on many occasions.

"And if that is pragmatism, we could have been more pragmatic by allowing the BJP and its allies to form the government in J&K because the BJP itself promised they will give statehood," was Mr Mehdi’s terse reaction. Ostensibly, he lucidly conveyed what could be agitating the public mind after Mr Omar Abdullah’s surprising statement.

The solution lies in the ruling party and its government at times working in different directions particularly on the issues of public and political importance more so when these directly impact people’s feeling. Unfortunately, the National Conference has become too dormant thereby ceding space to its political rivals to exploit the situation; at the same time has not been able to deliver on other promises due to bureaucratic rumblings.

The second factor, perhaps weighing heavily on Omar’s mind, could be the coming into being of yet another political front. Yet another political experiment in the offing in the political laboratory of Kashmir with an alliance here and there.

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