The Players, The Politics
Outlook|October 11, 2024
Jammu and Kashmir's politics has traced an unusual trajectory over the years
Naseer Ganai
The Players, The Politics

THIS is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the region was designated a Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, passed on 9 August, 2019. Once an autonomous state within the Indian Union, J&K had extensive powers, including its own prime minister and Sadre-Riyasat until 1965, when these positions were replaced by that of the chief minister and governor.

Ahead of the announcement of the election in July 2024, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) expanded the administrative powers of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) significantly.

The move made former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah angry.

"The people of J&K deserve better than a powerless rubber stamp CM who will have to beg the LG to get his/her peon appointed," Abdullah said. Both Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti said they would not participate in the election in a Union Territory, but when the election was announced, they had a change of heart. However, the NC vice president soon realised it was a tough fight. He had lost the North Kashmir Baramulla parliamentary seat earlier this year to jailed leader Engineer Rashid.

So, an uncertain Abdullah decided to contest from two constituencies this time: Baramulla and Ganderbal. Mehbooba Mufti abstained from contesting in the polls herself, but has been campaigning vigorously all across Jammu and Kashmir and also for her daughter, Iltija Mufti, in the Bijbehara constituency.

This story is from the October 11, 2024 edition of Outlook.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 11, 2024 edition of Outlook.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OUTLOOKView All
Soft Ruins
Outlook

Soft Ruins

'Soft Ruins' is a chapter within the long-term ongoing project \"When Spring Never Comes\", an expansive exploration of memory, identity and displacement in the aftermath of exile within contemporary global politics. It reflects on how the journey as an asylum seeker in Europe mirrors the instability and threats of life under dictatorship, amidst rising right-wing movements and shifting power dynamics, where both certainty and identity are redefined

time-read
1 min  |
January 11, 2025
Building Beyond Homes: Provident Housing's Transformative Approach
Outlook

Building Beyond Homes: Provident Housing's Transformative Approach

Provident Housing leads in crafting thoughtfully designed homes that cater to modern homebuyers' evolving needs. With a focus on timely delivery, sustainability, and innovative, customer-centric solutions, the company sets new benchmarks. In this exclusive interview, Mallanna Sasalu, CEO of Provident Housing, shares insights into the company's strategies, upcoming projects, and vision for India's housing future.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 11, 2025
Syria Speaks
Outlook

Syria Speaks

A Syrian graffiti artist-activist's tale of living through bombings, gunshots and displacement

time-read
3 mins  |
January 11, 2025
The Burdened
Outlook

The Burdened

Yemen, once a beautiful land identified with the Queen of Sheba, is now one of the worst ongoing humanitarian disasters of modern times

time-read
6 mins  |
January 11, 2025
Sculpting In Time
Outlook

Sculpting In Time

Documentaries such as Intercepted and Songs of Slow Burning Earth grapple with the Russian occupation beyond displays of desolation

time-read
4 mins  |
January 11, 2025
The Story Won't Die
Outlook

The Story Won't Die

Is Israel's triumphalism over its land grab in Syria realistic? The hard reality is-Israel now has Al-Qaeda as a next-door neighbour

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 11, 2025
Against the Loveless World
Outlook

Against the Loveless World

In times of war, love exists as a profound act of defiance

time-read
6 mins  |
January 11, 2025
Soul of My Soul
Outlook

Soul of My Soul

What does it mean to continue to create art during a genocide?

time-read
9 mins  |
January 11, 2025
in Dancing the Glory of Monsters
Outlook

in Dancing the Glory of Monsters

By humanising the stories of those affected by war, poverty and displacement, Buuma hopes to foster empathy and inspire action

time-read
2 mins  |
January 11, 2025
All the President's Men
Outlook

All the President's Men

Co-author of All The President's Men and one of the two Washington Post journalists (the other was Carl Berntstein) who broke the Watergate scandal that brought down the President Richard Nixon administration in the United States in 1974, Bob Woodward's recent book War was on top of The New York Times Bestseller list, even above John Grisham.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 11, 2025