Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory in northern India. It comprises two major regions: Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. A third region, Ladakh, along with Jammu and Kashmir, was a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir until 2019. After the abrogation of Article 370, the state was broken into two: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The region is known for breathtaking landscapes with a history going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, with evidence of various empires — Gandhara, Mauryan, Kushan, Gupta, Mughal, and Dogra — ruling the area.
The region has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since its 1947 accession to India. The two countries fought a war that resulted in the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC) and divided the region into Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Both Pakistan and China lay claims to parts of Indian-administered Kashmir and Ladakh.
The region has faced decades of insurgency, particularly since the 1980s, fueled by political alienation, human rights concerns, and economic disparities, leading to a cycle of violence and counterinsurgency operations.
In 2024, elections were held in the region after nearly a decade, restoring an elected government. Omar Abdullah took office as Chief Minister, while Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha continues to serve as the Centre’s representative, overseeing administrative affairs.
“There is no guarantee that a future election in Jammu and Kashmir will not result in another hung assembly.”
I don’t quite agree with the above statement. In the outgoing assembly, the BJP had 25 seats, and Congress and NC together had 27 seats. (15+12). In the last five years, considering whatever the BJP has achieved in that state, its tally will only come down — EVEN IN JAMMU.
If Congress and NC contest together, then if only for the incumbency factor, their total tally is bound to go up. So, in view of what has happened in last few days, if PDP supports these two from outside or at least abstains from voting against them, there is no way that INC+NC can be prevented from forming the government.
If the PDP and its friends are serious about forming a government, they could challenge the Governor’s decision in court, where it is unlikely to stand. If they fail to do so, it would validate the premise that they actually wanted this outcome.