With Delimitation and Elections Done, Omar Abdullah Calls for Restoration of Statehood in J&K

Srinagar: A day after the National Conference- Congress alliance secured an absolute majority in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, winning 48 out of 90 seats, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah raised the issue of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir once again and said that after elections, the only thing that remains is the restoration of statehood. 

Drawing a parallel with New Delhi, Abdullah emphasised the difference between Jammu and Kashmir and the national capital and said, "There is a difference between Delhi and us. Delhi was never a full state and nobody ever promised to make it a state. J&K was a state before 2019, and restoration of statehood has been promised to us." 

He recalled that the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and senior ministers of the BJP had repeatedly stated that three steps would be taken in Jammu and Kashmir: delimitation, elections, and then statehood. "Delimitation and elections are done, now statehood remains," he added.

The NC leader expressed his hope that after forming the new government, the first cabinet decision would be to pass a resolution for statehood and present it to the Prime Minister.

Speaking to the media, JKNC vice president and newly-elected MLA Abdullah said, “I am humbled by the verdict of the people, humbled by the mandate that the people have given. I am also acutely aware of the responsibility that this mandate places upon us. The people of J&K have voted, they made their voices heard, they want to be a part of the process of governance, they want to feel a part of the decision-making process and it is our responsibility to carry them along with us.”

He added, “The people of J&K have gone unheard since 2018. Now the time has come for us to work for the benefit of the people of J&K. I am also acutely aware of the fact that there is a sharp divide between Kashmir and Jammu. Therefore, the incoming government will have a major responsibility of giving a sense of ownership to the people of Jammu. The government that comes in in the next few days will not be that of the NC, of the alliance, of those that voted for us. It will be a government for every individual of J&K regardless of who they voted for or whether they voted at all. Special emphasis will be placed on giving a sense of ownership and a voice within the government to those areas from where MLAs in this coalition will be less in number.”

Omar Abdullah to be next Jammu and Kashmir CM?

Omar Abdullah is poised to be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking on the win, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and NC supremo Farooq Abdullah said the new government will seek to address the problems of people. "The people have given their mandate; they have shown they reject the decision taken on August 5. Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister," Farooq Abdullah said while speaking to reporter earlier.

Speaking to the media, Omar Abdullah said, "First and foremost, wait for the Legislative Party Meeting which will take place tomorrow. Subsequent to the meeting, there will be the alliance meeting, it will determine the leader of the alliance. The leader of alliance will then, I assume, take letters of support, go to Raj Bhavan, stake the claim and request the LG to fix a date for the swearing-in. But I would like that to happen as soon as possible because we have been without an elected government since 2018. Time has come that we get back to work."

J&K's Relations with Centre

On the coordination with the central government after forming the new government in the Union Territory, Abdullah said, "Let the government be formed. Ask this to the CM who will get elected. My suggestion would be that it is essential to coordinate with New Delhi. Our issues and difficulties won't be resolved by fighting with Delhi (the Centre)."

He recognised that while there is rivalry with the BJP, it is not necessary to have a contentious relationship with the central government. "I think proper relations with the Centre will be good for J&K and the people of J&K. People of J&K have not voted for fights; they voted because they want jobs, progress, statehood, relief in power supply, and resolution of other issues," he added.

In response to PM Modi's congratulations on winning the assembly polls, Abdullah took to X and wrote, “Thank you very much for your message of congratulations PM Narendra Modi sahib. We look forward to a constructive relationship in the true spirit of federalism so that the people of J&K may benefit from continued development and good governance.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Abdullah said that the government that will be formed in Jammu and Kashmir has a very big responsibility of inculcating a "sense of belonging" to the people of the valley. "The government which is formed in the coming days has a very big responsibility of ensuring that the people of Jammu do not feel that this is not their government. Whoever becomes the CM of J&K will have to ensure that people of Jammu feel a sense of belonging." said Abdullah.

Abdullah highlighted the need to "build relations" with centre to "solve problems" of the valley and said that “responsibility has increased.” "It is the responsibility of the NC-CPM-Congress alliance to stand up to the expectations of the people and work for their welfare. It has now become essential for us to build relations with the centre so that we can solve the problems of J&K. National Conference has got more votes and our responsibility has increased," he said.

"In the end, the people are masters. People decide if they like us or not. Two months ago, I lost the elections, and now I won. I am the same person, belong to the same family, and there was no change in my politics. But two months ago, I lost, and now I have won," Abdullah added.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) carried the alliance to victory by winning 42 seats in the results declared on Tuesday. Congress could win only six seats. Ninety seats went to the polls in Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. The BJP also put up a strong performance, winning 29 seats. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's PDP secured three seats, while Sajad Gani Lone's People's Conference and Aam Aadmi Party won one seat each. CPI(M) also won one seat. Independents won seven seats. BJP got 25.64 per cent vote share followed by the National Conference with 23.43 per cent and Congress with 11.97 per cent.

This was the first election in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and its bifurcation into two Union Territories.