Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said on November 4 that the resolution moved in the assembly seeking restoration of Article 370 was introduced just ‘for the cameras’ and carries no real significance.

Abdullah said if there was a genuine intention behind the resolution, it should have been discussed with the National Conference, the ruling party in the Union Territory.

“We knew that preparation for this was being made by a member. The reality is that the people of Jammu and Kashmir do not approve of the decision taken on August 5, 2019. If they had approved, then the results today would have been different. How the House will reflect and discuss this will not be decided by any one member,” Abdullah said, addressing the House soon after the newly-elected Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was marred by ruckus on the first day after opposition MLA Wahid Parra of the People’s Democratic Party moved a resolution against the scrapping of Article 370.

“The resolution brought today has no importance, but it is only for the cameras. If there was a purpose behind it, then they would have discussed this with us before,” Abdullah said.

The erstwhile state lost special status and was bifurcated into two union territories after the Narendra Modi-led Union government abrogated Article 370 in August 2019.

Waheed Parra’s Resolution

Soon after Parra, 36, started reading the resolution, BJP lawmakers in the Assembly registered opposition. The speaker adjourned the house amid calls to meet again for L-G Manoj Sinha’s address.

Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir through the J&K reorganisation Act, 2019 and calls for its complete rescinding,” reads the resolution,” read the resolution.

“House further resolves to strive for the restoration of special status and all constitutional guarantees granted to Jammu and Kashmir in their original prisitine form,” it read.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti lauded the PDP leader for introducing the resolution in the assembly.

“Proud of Waheed Parra for introducing resolution in JK Assembly opposing the revocation of Article 370 and resolve to restore the special status God bless you,” the former chief minister wrote in a post on X.

The restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood as well as implementation of the autonomy resolution was one of the main promises made by the National conference in its manifesto for the Jammu-Kashmir elections.

The resolution brought today has no importance but it is only for the cameras.

The Congress-National Conference alliance won 49 seats in the 90-member assembly, while the BJP won 29 seats. The Assembly election was held after a gap of 10 years and since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on September 16.

The newly-elected Jammu and Kashmir Assembly faced chaos on the first day after opposition member Waheed Parra of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) moved a resolution against the scrapping of Article 370.

The erstwhile state lost its special status and was bifurcated into two union territories after the Narendra Modi-led Union government abrogated Article 370 in August 2019.

Soon after Parra began reading the resolution, BJP lawmakers protested vehemently and created a din. The Speaker adjourned the House amid the uproar to meet again for Lieutenant Governor  Manoj Sinha’s address.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly convened for its first session in six years on Monday, November 4, and will conclude on November 8. Besides the L-G’s address, the Assembly will take up obituary references for former legislators who have passed away since the last session of the erstwhile J&K Assembly. 

The Contentious Resolution

The Speaker of the House, Rahim Rather of the ruling National Conference, however, said he had not admitted any resolution as yet.

“This house opposes the revocation of special status of J&K and constitutional disempowerment of Jammu and Kashmir through the J&K reorganisation Act, 2-19 and calls for its complete rescinding,” the resolution reads.

“House further resolves to strive for the restoration of special status and all constitutional guarantees granted to Jammu and Kashmir in their original pristine form,” it read.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti congratulated Parra for moving the resolution. 

“Proud of Waheed Parra for introducing resolution in JK Assembly opposing the revocation of Article 370 and resolve to restore the special status. God bless you [sic],” she said in a post on X.

Who is Waheed Parra?

Waheed Parra, the MLA from Pulwama, lost the Lok Sabha Election 2024 from the Srinagar parliamentary seat. He is the President of PDP’s youth wing and was nominated as a Peace Fellow at the Yale International Leadership Centre in 2023 but could not attend as he was denied a passport. 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Parra in a military-related case three days after he filed his nomination for the District Development Council (DDC) election from a Pulwama constituency in November 2020. He won the election from jail.

He was granted bail on January 9, 2021, but was again arrested outside the prison by Counter Intelligence Kashmir, a special cell of the J&K Police, for allegedly having links with militants and separatists. He was finally released on bail in June 2023. 

Senior National Conference leader and former minister Abdul Rahim Rather was elected speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, which convened in Srinagar on Monday, November 4, for its first session in six years.

The Union Territory’s Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, and Cooperatives, Javid Ahmed Dar, moved the motion to elect Rather as the speaker of the 90-member house.

After his election, Rather was escorted to the chair by the Leader of the House, Omar Abdullah, and BJP’s Sunil Sharma, the Leader of the Opposition.

Rather had earlier held the post of the Speaker in the legislative assembly of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. He was also the Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2008, when the PDP-Congress coalition government ruled the State.

All eyes will be on the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha‘s address scheduled at 11:30 am. The session will continue for 5 days.

All eyes on Article 370 resolution

The NC, which won the UT’s assembly polls in alliance with the Congress party, is expected to move a resolution on Article 370 to ‘register a protest against the Centre’s measures taken on August 5, 2019’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government’s move in 2019 not only abrogated the special provision but also split the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also NC vice president, had pledged to bring a resolution on Article 370 in the Assembly in its first session.

The NC has the support of 55 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly, which was elected in September-October after a 10-year gap. Jammu and Kashmir was under the President’s rule from 2018 until the latest assembly elections.

Abdul Rahim Rather’s election as Speaker symbolizes a new chapter in Jammu and Kashmir’s legislative history.

The Assembly’s first session started on November 4 and will conclude on November 8. Besides the L-G address, obituary references for former legislators who passed away since the last session of the erstwhile J&K Assembly are also scheduled to be taken up.

As per the schedule, the Motion of Thanks on the L-G’s address will be discussed on November 6 and 7.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he has received assurances at the ‘highest level’ in New Delhi that the commitments made to the Union Territory with regard to governance model will change.

The hybrid model of governance, Abdullah said, is temporary and the statehood status for Jammu and Kashmir will be restored soon.

“I would tell you in no uncertain terms that there is zero tolerance for this [corruption]. But I am also acutely aware that we have unfortunately at the moment rather hybrid system of operating. And I have a feeling, and I am going to say regardless of the consequences some may feel they can exploit the system for their advantage, that they can find loopholes in this system that we have in J&K at the moment,” Adbullah is heard saying while addressing administrative secretaries in Srinagar. The ministers are also seen in the video sitting next to Abdullah.

Abdullah also administered an integrity pledge to the bureaucrats on the occasion. 

“But please rest assured. This is a temporary phase. I have just come back from very successful meetings from New Delhi. I have received assurances at the highest level that the commitments made to J&K particularly with regard to governance model will change,” the Chief Minister, who recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, among others, during his Delhi trip.

Loopholes to end soon

“And therefore, if there is anybody who believes that somehow that UT will shield you from the consequences of practices which goes against this pledge, please remember the shield may last temporarily. But it is only temporary. Once the full statehood to J&K is restored there will be no loopholes to exploit or any advantages to be taken by playing against one another,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah’s National Conference won the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, clinching 42 out of 90 seats. This was the first elections in the union territory in a decade and also first assembly election after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister on October 16, making him first CM of the Union Territory.

This is a temporary phase. I have just come back from very successful meetings from New Delhi.

The Modi government is likely to initiate the process of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, five years after the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The first step in the direction may come during the Winter Session of Parliament in November-December, according to some reports.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured Chief Minister Omar Abdullah the centre’s full support to the newly elected government, a report in NDTV said quoting sources.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made his inaugural visit to New Delhi on Thursday, following his recent appointment. During this visit, he presented a cabinet resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

National Conference’s Historic Victory in J-K Polls

Abdullah’s National Conference achieved a significant milestone in the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, clinching 42 out of 90 seats—marking the first elections in the union territory in a decade.

Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister on October 16, making history as the first leader of the newly formed Union Territory.

J-K Cabinet Resolution Passed on Statehood

In its initial cabinet meeting, Abdullah’s government unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to reinstate the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. 

This resolution urging statehood for Jammu and Kashmir received formal approval from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, highlighting its importance in the political landscape.

CM Abdullah Empowered to Advocate for Statehood

With the cabinet’s endorsement, Chief Minister Abdullah is now positioned to engage directly with the Prime Minister and central authorities to advocate for the reinstatement of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

CM Abdullah’s Meeting with Amit Shah Following Recent Violence

On Wednesday, Abdullah also met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his first official trip to the capital. This meeting occurred in the aftermath of a tragic terrorist attack in Ganderbal district, which resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, including a doctor and several migrant labourers.

In light of this incident, Omar Abdullah emphasised the necessity for heightened vigilance among security forces. “Now the administration, especially the police and security forces, will have to maintain their alert level even more and ensure that such attacks do not take place,” stated the Chief Minister.

The Union government is likely to initiate the process of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, five years after the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured Chief Minister Omar Abdullah the centre’s full support to the newly elected government, a report in NDTV said quoting sources. Omar met Shah in Delhi on Wednesday.

The Union government is likely to initiate the process of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, five years after the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured Chief Minister Omar Abdullah the centre’s full support to the newly elected government, a report in NDTV said quoting sources. Omar met Shah in Delhi on Wednesday.

“The meeting that lasted half an hour was held in a very cordial atmosphere. The home minister assured the centre’s full support to the newly elected government and to initiate the process of restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir,” the NDTV report quoted a source as saying.

Abdullah-led J&K cabinet passed a resolution demanding the restoration of statehood in its first cabinet meeting held last week.

Abdullah to meet PM Modi

Abdullah is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and submit a copy of the resolution to him as well. The resolution also emphasises on the J&K government’s commitment to protect the identity and constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The home minister assured the centre’s full support to the newly elected government.

Following the scrapping of Article 370 in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded to a UT.

Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were held in three phases, from September 18 to October 1, resulting in the formation of a government by the National Conference-Congress alliance.

Before taking the oath, Omar Abdullah had said that the first task of his government would be to become the voice of the people. Earlier, Congress leader P Chidambaram had also expressed that ‘first task of the new government should be to demand the restoration of statehood to J-K’, and all the INDIA parties should support it.

Autumn is calling and the leaves of Kashmir’s famed chinar tree are falling, as if to draw attention to the multiple layers of the region’s complex political landscape. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC)—the region’s oldest political formation since 1931, originally founded as the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference and later rechristened as NC in 1939—won a decisive mandate in the 2024 Assembly election, held after a yawning gap of a decade. In a significantly altered political setting after August 2019, there are myriad challenges and a few opportunities for Omar Abdullah, the new Chief Minister of what is still a Union Territory.

Omar Abdullah is aware that the path ahead is not rosy. He wears a crown of thorns as the Chief Minister of a restive region that lost its semi-autonomous status, its Constitution and separate flag, and also statehood on August 5, 2019. That is perhaps why he is making conciliatory gestures toward the BJP-led Central government and avoiding confrontation—at least for now—after getting enough votes to resist the saffron party’s “Kashmir project” during his high-decibel election campaign.

In his first Cabinet meeting, he passed a resolution on the restoration of statehood, which was, interestingly, approved by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, but it remains to be seen if his party will now move a similar resolution in the first session of the Assembly to be convened on November 4. The Cabinet meeting left the issue of special status and abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A untouched. This was the first signal that Omar Abdullah’s pacifying tone has the BJP’s backing.

While the pressure is mounting on Omar not only to pass this resolution but also to demand the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A in the Assembly, Omar for his part talks about pragmatism. “The people who took Jammu and Kashmir’s special status away from us in 2019 are not going to be the ones to give it back to us in 2024. This is not the Assembly we deserve. But this Assembly will get us to that Assembly,” he said in a recent interview with a foreign media outlet.

In a recent statement, Farooq Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir’s former Chief Minister and Omar’s father, downplayed the need to restore Article 370. In a marked departure from his earlier stance, the senior Abdullah highlighted the need to resolve “people’s everyday issues” first. “The most important task for the current government is to address the problems faced by ordinary citizens,” he told local reporters in Srinagar.

Restoring Articles 370 and 35A plus statehood

Omar Abdullah’s opponents were swift to remind him that his party won the mandate to undo the changes made five years ago. They insinuated that the NC was “ratifying and normalising reading down of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution”. Omar’s political rivals described his latest statements as a “U-turn”.

Sajad Lone, member of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly from North Kashmir’s Handwara constituency and Omar Abdullah’s fiercest rival, expressed surprise that people voted for the NC despite knowing the party’s “long history of U-turns and betrayals”. “In the context of political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is the proper institution for addressing major issues like that of statehood or Article 370,” Lone told Frontline, adding that “the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is reflected in the Assembly, not in the Cabinet”.

Also Read | Kashmir’s guarded optimism 

Waheed ur Rehman Parra, the MLA representing South Kashmir’s Pulwama constituency and a youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), told Frontline: “Instead of vociferously condemning the abrogation of Article 370 and demanding restoration of special status, the Omar Abdullah-led Cabinet has put a stamp of approval on the BJP’s ‘Mission Kashmir’. In its first Cabinet meeting, the new government should have respected the mandate by demanding restoration of special status, and of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitution and flag.”

Reliable sources in the NC told Frontline that a resolution rejecting the abrogation of Article 370 and demanding restoration of special status for Jammu and Kashmir will be passed inside the Assembly at an “appropriate time”. Sources added that the statehood resolution came up first in the cabinet because “it is the first logical step”, as Article 370 remains the purview of the legislature. “A confrontational approach is not the way forward. An incremental approach is the path ahead. The National Conference stands committed to what has been promised in its manifesto. Give us some time,” a top NC source told Frontline.

In its party manifesto, the NC pledges that it will “strive for the full implementation of the Autonomy Resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in 2000. We strive to restore Articles 370, 35A, and statehood as prior to August 5, 2019.” The manifesto also promises that “in the interim period we will endeavour to redraw the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, and the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019”.

In its detailed manifesto, the NC vociferously talks about identity, dignity, and development. In the 12 guarantees, restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s political and legal status tops the list. Additionally, the manifesto promises a comprehensive job package for youths; restoring normalcy; granting relief to consumers from inflated electricity and water bills; creating robust health infrastructure and more.

Previously, Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be fought for local governance, administrative issues, and “sadak, bijli, aur pani” (roads, electricity, and potable water), as unionists would emphasise the need to delink the electoral process from external factors and the larger Kashmir issue. They would make a case before the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a pro-resolution conglomerate, that boycotting elections was a wrong strategy.

In 2024, however, the NC has linked the electoral process with the larger Kashmir issue. “We advocate for Indo-Pak dialogue as the best method to resolve ongoing conflicts,” the NC manifesto reads.

“On August 5, 2019, the BJP once again betrayed the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Degrading the constitution, the BJP harmed the constitutional, moral, ethical, and legal relationship with Jammu and Kashmir for electoral gains. For the first time in independent India’s history, a prosperous state was downgraded and divided into two Union Territories,” the manifesto reads, adding, “This act exhibited the BJP’s disdain for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, devoid of any sense of righteousness.”

In the words of Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, the MP from Central Kashmir’s Srinagar constituency, “The National Conference represents the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The voters have collectively registered their dissent against the unconstitutional and undemocratic abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.” At his residence in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Mehdi told Frontline: “These elections happened after the decisions made on August 5, 2019, when the status of our State was degraded and constitutional guarantees abrogated without the consent and concurrence of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We do not accept this degraded status where we feel as second-class citizens.”

Mehdi has been a vocal critic of reading down of Articles 370 and 35A. According to the outspoken parliamentarian, if any member from his party even thinks about diluting their stance on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy or special status, he or she “will have to face opposition from Ruhullah Mehdi”. The senior NC leader sounded confident that his party colleagues in government would meet the people’s expectations.

‘Political wisdom’ of voters

The last Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir was held in 2014. In August 2019, the region lost its semi-autonomous status and statehood, and Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded to the status of a federally administered territory, with Ladakh carved out as a separate Union Territory. Given this backdrop, a decisive mandate in favour of the NC, Congress, and the CPI(M) is being viewed by political pundits as a resounding rejection of the changes made on August 5, 2019.

A decisive mandate in favour of the NC is less about the party’s popularity on the ground and more about the “political wisdom” demonstrated by the voters to telegraph an unambiguous verdict against the changes made on 5 August 2019, according to veteran political scientists.

Professor Noor Ahmad Baba, one of Kashmir’s leading political scientists, is of the view that Kashmiri voters have “exhibited a high degree of wisdom” to keep the BJP out. “The verdict carries an important messaging that a vast majority in Jammu and Kashmir is displeased with what was done to the region in August 2019,” Baba told Frontline, adding that in a powerless Assembly, Omar Abdullah will find it difficult to deliver results if he does not remain in constant dialogue with his voters and people.

The analyst made another key point about the huge expectations of voters, especially in the Kashmir Valley. “The new Chief Minister must focus on the ‘doables’ first. The regional and religious divide between Kashmir and Jammu plains has sharpened and needs to be bridged with a responsible and responsive governance model.”

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: The battle that lies beyond elections

Omar addressed concerns raised about the representation of Jammu to an extent by choosing Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who defeated Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina in the Nowshera Assembly segment in the Jammu region, for the post of Deputy Chief Minister.

“The reality on the ground tells a different story. We appointed a Deputy Chief Minister from Jammu, a Hindu who is not a member of my family. This decision refutes the baseless accusations of those who sought to sow discord between the two regions,” Omar said, adding that the appointment showcased “the deep commitment of the NC to the people of Jammu”.

J&K Assembly: ‘Almost a handcuffed creature’

Not everyone seems impressed, though.

Pravin Sawhney, who writes on defence and security matters, said it was a bitter pill to swallow for the people of Kashmir to see Omar Abdullah forgetting and backtracking about Article 370 and telling media that his “priority was to make the Union territory a State”.

“This is a vote by the people of Jammu and Kashmir against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, a clear rejection of what the BJP did to Kashmir on August 5, 2019,” Sawhney told Frontline. According to him, “the first order of business should have been to seek restoration of Article 370, as the voters were expecting the same.”

According to Mehmood Ur Rashid, Kashmir’s well-known political commentator, “the powers of the government have been curtailed to a degree where the Assembly would be an almost a handcuffed creature.” In his newspaper column, Rashid argued that the voters’ verdict is not “a moment of celebration” but “a catharsis of sorts”.

“The faceless bureaucracy that held sway for all these years (since August 2019) is no less than an affliction for any people. The people have felt suffocated because they had no-one to share their day-to-day miseries with,” the veteran commentator wrote.

Haseeb Drabu, an economist and Jammu and Kashmir’s former Finance Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government (2015-18), believes that Omar Abdullah will find it hard to administer a Union Territory. “Historically, the NC’s model of governance has been to keep Delhi on its side. However, in a powerless Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, there will be serious administrative challenges for the new government,” Drabu told Frontline. In his understanding, the BJP is under no political compulsion whatsoever to restore statehood immediately, although Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have repeatedly made public statements committing to the restoration of statehood.

Apart from navigating the power tussle between the elected representatives and the Lt Governor’s office, another challenge for the new government is to address issues related to routine governance, provide jobs to the unemployed youth, revisit the exorbitant electricity tariff, control price rise, and deal with security challenges.

On October 20, at least seven persons, including six migrant labourers and a Kashmiri doctor, were killed when armed militants attacked a tunnel construction site on the Srinagar-Leh highway in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, at around 8 pm, a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire upon labourers associated with Apco Infratech (which is constructing a 6.5 km Z-Morh tunnel to connect the Gagangir area with Sonmarg, a popular tourist resort). The NC government will be under pressure to prevent such incidents going forward.

A political earthquake

Earlier, on a pleasant afternoon of October 8, many people shared scenes capturing a fleet of cars ferrying enthusiastic supporters of the NC on Srinagar’s famed Boulevard and Gupkar roads bearing the party flags. The images were symbolic in more ways than one.

Exactly 19 years ago on October 8, 2005, Kashmir Valley had woken up to a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, resulting in the death of at least 1,350 people while thousands lost their homes either partially or completely. Nearly two decades later, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed a political earthquake, as the NC won 42 Assembly constituencies, 35 of those from the Valley, in the 90-member House. By forenoon, as it became obvious that the NC would emerge as the single largest party, it was perhaps for the first time since August 2019 that party workers and supporters chanted slogans against the BJP with a “sense of achievement” and without “fear of retribution”.

Also Read | Kashmir Assembly election 2024: A vivid portrait of democracy in action

The Congress party, which fought the election as a pre-poll alliance partner of the NC, won only six Assembly segments, five from Kashmir and one from Pir Panjal region but none from either the Chenab Valley or Jammu plains. In terms of electoral arithmetic, the mandate has been in favour of the NC-Congress grouping but not winning seats in the Jammu plains remains a major worry for the Rahul Gandhi-led party. Still, with Kashmir’s lone Communist leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami winning a seat from South Kashmir’s Kulgam region, always a CPI (M) citadel, the INDIA-bloc won 49 seats, a substantial mandate to form the government. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and four Independents later offered support to take the anti-BJP alliance’s tally to 54.

Even with such numbers, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly does not enjoy full powers. For all intents and purposes, the Lt Governor will be calling the shots in the near future in what Omar Abdullah calls a “disempowered legislature”.

Gowhar Geelani is a senior journalist and author of Kashmir: Rage and Reason.

Jammu and Kashmir news: In a significant political move, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has vacated the Budgam assembly seat while retaining the Ganderbal constituency, as announced by Pro-tem Speaker Mubarak Gul in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday.

CM Omar Abdullah successfully secured both seats – Ganderbal and Budgam – in the recent assembly elections, but his choice to keep Ganderbal underscores its importance to his political legacy.

CM Abdullah had defeated Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP)’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi to win the Budgam Assembly Seat in the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections.

A Stronghold for the Abdullah Family

The Ganderbal seat has long been regarded as a stronghold for the Abdullah family. Omar Abdullah previously served as an MLA for Ganderbal from 2009 to 2014 during his first tenure as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah keeps Ganderbal assembly seat and resigns from Budgam seat,” Mubarak Gul stated in the assembly, confirming the change.

Impact on National Conference’s Strength in J-K Assembly

With Omar Abdullah’s resignation from Budgam, the strength of the National Conference in the 95-member assembly has now been reduced to 41 seats. However, the party still maintains a comfortable majority, bolstered by the support of six Congress MLAs, five Independents, and one MLA each from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

As Omar Abdullah navigates his role in the assembly, his focus remains on addressing the needs and concerns of his constituents, particularly in Ganderbal, as he embarks on this new chapter in his political career.

Jammu and Kashmir MLAs administered oath

During his first tenure as Chief Minister from 2009 to 2014, Omar Abdullah took lessons to improve his speaking skills in Hindi, Urdu and Kashmiri languages. And on Monday, 21 October, Omar Abdullah, son of Farooq Abdullah, took oath as MLA in Kashmiri.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary took oath in English.

The oath-taking ceremony of the MLAs marked an end to the six-year-long legislative hiatus in Jammu and Kashmir.

J-K Demands Restoration of Statehood

On 19 October, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet has passed a resolution urging the Union Government to restore the statehood of the Union Territory.

The Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution for restoration of statehood in its original form.

The Cabinet has authorised CM Abdullah to take up the matter with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Government of India for restoration of statehood.

The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday allocated portfolios to the newly inducted ministers in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah‘s cabinet. The decision to assign the portfolios was made based on the Chief Minister’s advice, and an official order was issued by the LG.

Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah picked Surinder Kumar Choudhary as his deputy. Here’s why

According to the order, deputy chief minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary will hold the charge of Public Works (R&B), Industries and Commerce, Mining, Labour and Employment, and Skill Development, PTI reported.

The lone woman minister — Sakeena Masood (Itoo) has been assigned the charge of important ministries of Health and Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education, and Social Welfare.

She was the Social Welfare minister during Abdullah’s first tenure as the CM in the erstwhile state.

Javed Ahmed Rana has been allocated the departments of Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment, and Tribal Affairs.

Javid Ahmad Dar will be the minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative, and Election.

Satish Sharma has been assigned the charge of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Transport, Science and Technology, Information Technology, Youth Services and Sports and ARI and Trainings.

The order said any other departments/subjects not allocated to any of the ministers, shall remain with the chief minister.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the first elected government in the union territory since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Thursday expressed hope that the Centre would soon restore the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

“We have raised the issue of (restoration of) statehood before as well. Today, the Supreme Court has said it will be listed soon. I am hopeful that the Government of India will soon restore the statehood,” Abdullah added.

The government will work on achieving what is in the (NC’s) manifesto, address the problems of the people, take J-K on the path of peace and progress “so that we make this state better”, he said.

“There is huge unemployment and it is important to end that. Traffic has to be managed. Our people who ride scooters, do not wear helmets, that needs to be seen. The corruption will be taken care of,” he added.

In its first cabinet meeting, Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government passed a resolution urging the Centre to restore statehood of the Union Territory on Friday. He is also expected to travel to Delhi and hand over the draft of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Jammu and Kashmir government held its first cabinet meeting yesterday after Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the CM on October 16.

Following the dilution of Article 370 in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood was terminated. On October 17, 2024, the Supreme Court listed a plea seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

‘Statehood has to be time bound…’

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for applicants, had urged a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that the plea needed an urgent hearing.

“There is an MA in the Article 370 matter, the implementation for conferring statehood…it has to be time-bound,” Sankaranarayanan said, to which the CJI DY Chandrachud agrees, legal news agency Live Law reported.

Earlier, on December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court had unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, the apex court had also directed for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections to be held by September 2024, highlighting that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood be restored at the ‘earliest.’

Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were held in three phases, from September 18 to October 1, resulting in the formation of a government by the National Conference-Congress alliance.

‘First task to demand statehood…’

Before taking the oath, Omar Abdullah had said that the first task of his government would be to become the voice of the people. Earlier, Congress leader P. Chidambaram had also expressed that ‘first task of the new government should be to demand the restoration of statehood to J-K’, and all the I.N.D.I.A parties should support it.

NC President, Farooq Abdullah expressed optimism that the Centre would soon restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah was ‘sure’ that the ‘Government of India would soon restore J&K’s statehood’, stated an NDTV report.