Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has sharply criticized the dual governance model in the Union Territory, describing it as a “recipe for disaster.”
He urged the Centre to honor its commitment to restoring statehood to the region without delay.
In his first interview since assuming office in October, Abdullah expressed cautious optimism about the Centre’s repeated promises to restore statehood. However, he noted that these promises, made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during election campaigns, have yet to materialize.
“Having two power centres anywhere is a recipe for disaster. No organization works well with multiple leaders. You don’t have two captains for a sports team or two prime ministers in the government of India. Most of India has one elected chief minister empowered to take decisions with their cabinet,” Abdullah said during the interview at PTI’s headquarters.
Drawing comparisons with Delhi, where governance is shared between the Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governor, Abdullah argued that Jammu and Kashmir, as a large and strategically significant region bordering China and Pakistan, requires a unified command even more urgently.
“In the two months that I’ve been Chief Minister, I have yet to come across a single example where J-K has benefited by being a Union Territory. Not one. There is no example of governance or development that has come to J-K because of this status,” he said.
Jammu Kashmir was reorganized into a Union Territory in August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, which had granted it special status. Governance was transferred to the Lieutenant Governor.
The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to hold assembly elections by September 2024 and urged the Centre to restore statehood as soon as possible, although no deadline was provided.
Abdullah’s National Conference party won the elections decisively, securing 41 of the 90 assembly seats, with its ally Congress winning six. The BJP won 28 seats.
While Abdullah acknowledged the role of the Supreme Court in ensuring the elections, he criticized its lack of specificity regarding the timeline for restoring statehood. “Restoration of statehood ‘as soon as possible’ is vague. If the same phrase had been used for assembly elections, we wouldn’t be sitting here today,” he remarked.
He emphasized that the BJP-led Centre’s repeated promises of statehood during the campaign played a significant role in encouraging voter turnout. “When you repeatedly told people that statehood would be restored, you didn’t add any conditions. So, it must be done now,” he asserted.
Abdullah also hinted at having a contingency plan if Jammu and Kashmir’s hybrid status continues but refrained from elaborating. “I’d be foolish not to have a backup plan, but for now, I’d like to believe the promises made to the people of J-K will be honored,” he said.
He noted the complexities of the current governance structure, where the Lieutenant Governor handles police, security, and law and order while administrative matters are divided with the elected government.
“We are re-examining business rules to clarify administrative boundaries and streamline governance,” he added.
Concluding his remarks, Abdullah said, “The final decision on restoring statehood lies with the Prime Minister and Home Minister. Either they must act, or it must be mandated.”