Omar Abdullah Warns Of 'Recipe For Disaster' In Dual Governance Model, Demands Statehood For J&K | Photo- PTI Kamal Singh Omar Abdullah Warns Of 'Recipe For Disaster' In Dual Governance Model, Demands Statehood For J&K | Photo- PTI Kamal Singh Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has warned that the current dual governance model in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmirqueen9play, where power is shared with the lieutenant governor, is a "recipe for disaster".
He stressed the urgent need for the central government to fulfill its commitment to restore statehood to the region. In his first interview to news agency PTI since assuming the Office of Chief Minister in October, Abdullah expressed cautious optimism about the Centre's intentions.
He cited assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during their election campaigns.
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Drawing comparisons to corporate management, he emphasised that no organisation functions well with multiple power centers. "Let me just say this, having two power centres anywhere is a recipe for disaster. No organisation works well if there are multiple power centres... Most of India has one elected chief minister who is empowered with their cabinet to take decisions. A dual power centre system is never going to work," he said.
Abdullah further highlighted the contrast between Delhi, a small city-state, and Jammu and Kashmir, a vast and strategically important region. He questioned the benefits of the Union Territory status. "In the two months that I've been chief minister, I have yet to come across a single example where J-K has benefited out of being a Union Territory. Not one."
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The restructuring of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory in August 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370, stripped the region of its special status and handed administrative control to the lieutenant governor.
On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to hold assembly elections by September and urged the central government to restore statehood "as soon as possible", though no clear timeline was provided.
READ MORE | Why The Demand For Statehood In J&K Is A Bad Precedent
Abdullah’s National Conference party emerged victorious in the September elections. It secured 41 of the 90 contested seats. He expressed regret that while the Supreme Court facilitated the elections, it did not provide a firm stance on statehood.
"Unfortunately, and this is a matter of great regret for us, on the statehood question, the Supreme Court was more vague than I would have liked them to be," he said in an interview with news agency PTI.
He pointed out that promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the restoration of statehood must be honored. "There were no ifs and buts. You said J-K will be back as a full state. That's it. So that has to be done now. Ultimately, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are the ones who are going to have to sit down and decide if this is what has to be done and this is when it has to be done," he added and signaled that his party would work to hold the government accountable.
'Cong Should Not Take INDIA Bloc for Granted'
Meanwhile, the chief minister acknowledged growing discontent among partners in the INDIA bloc over the Congress party's leadership role. He urged the party to justify its position rather than taking it for granted.
"By virtue of being the single largest party in Parliament, and also having the leader of Opposition in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the fact that they have a pan-India footprint, which no other party can lay claim to, they are natural sort of leaders of an opposition movement," Abdullah said in an interview with news agency PTI.
However, he noted a sense of unease among some allies, who feel that Congress is "not doing enough to justify it or to earn it or to keep it". "That is something the Congress might wish to consider."
Despite this, Abdullah showered praise on former Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He recogniser her as a leader of unmatched stature within the Opposition alliance. "When the INDIA bloc comes together, she plays an important leadership role," he added.
When asked about comments from leaders like Sharad Pawar and Lalu Yadav, who have suggested that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee might be a stronger leader, Abdullah declined to offer a direct response. Instead, he emphasised the need for more consistent engagement within the INDIA alliance. He warned that the alliance could risk becoming just an election-time arrangement without sustained effort.
free slots with bonus"Our existence cannot just be about six months before Parliament elections. Our existence has to be something more than that. The last time we met was when the Lok Sabha results had only just come out. There has been no formal or informal sort of work that has been done for the INDIA bloc," he remarked.
Abdullah also took a candid view of Congress' recent electoral setbacks. He called for a deeper reflection on the party's performance. "The Congress needs to critically examine its strike rate and learn lessons applicable to future elections," he said.
He pointed to the growing strains within political alliances and the need for Congress to reassess its seat distribution and electoral strategies.queen9play
