Farooq Abdullah: Two years after elections, J&K government still lacks full powers

# What Farooq Abdullah said Dr Farooq Abdullah, president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, told party members and the public that although elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir, the elected government has not been given full powers even after two years. He framed this as inconsistent with democratic, constitutional and moral principles and said the Union Government must take serious and meaningful steps to reduce growing alienation, disappointment and distrust among the people.

# The central demands Dr Farooq made two interrelated demands:

• Restore statehood so the Jammu and Kashmir government can run affairs more effectively and reduce obstacles to addressing daily problems.
• Restore the region's special constitutional position that existed before August 5, 2019. He described the August 2019 decisions by New Delhi as a major mistake and urged the Centre to rectify it.

He said the National Conference will continue its struggle for restoration of special status and will raise the matter in every Assembly, in Parliament and in other appropriate fora until the demand is met.

# How the National Conference frames the practical problem According to Dr Farooq, the current Union Territory system acts as an imposed structure that creates hurdles for the elected government. He argues the people voted to empower an elected government to handle regional affairs and everyday problems, but decision-making powers remain constrained by the central structure.

He ties the demand for statehood to service delivery: returning full powers, he says, will enable the government to provide relief, strengthen development infrastructure and deliver essential services more effectively.

# Party position and actions Conference reiterates two firm positions:

• It will continue to press for restoration of special status and constitutional rights that J&K enjoyed under the earlier constitutional arrangement.
• It will pursue statehood restoration to give the local government more functional authority.

The party says it will use legislative platforms and other forums to pursue these objectives.

# Governance under constraints Dr Farooq acknowledged operational challenges but maintained the NC government is making efforts despite "toughest challenges, hurdles and constraints." He said NC legislators remain active in their constituencies, listening to grievances and trying to resolve them. The party presents its current focus as a mix of political advocacy for constitutional change and day-to-day constituency work to provide relief and basic services.

# Political context referenced The remarks frame the post-August 5, 2019 administrative changes as the origin of the problem. Dr Farooq links those decisions to the current central-local power imbalance and to the rising sense of alienation among people in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the central government to correct the situation for the sake of national unity and the functioning of democratic institutions.

# What the statement promises next Conference will maintain pressure for restoration of constitutional and democratic rights. The party commits to continuing the struggle and to making sacrifices if required, while simultaneously pursuing governance tasks through its elected officials.

# Immediate implications For citizens: the party signals it will combine political campaigning for statehood and special status with constituency-level problem-solving. For the Centre: the statement is an explicit call to reconsider the administrative and constitutional arrangements in place since 2019.

# Bottom line Dr Farooq Abdullah says elected authority in Jammu and Kashmir remains curtailed two years after elections. The National Conference links restoration of statehood and special constitutional status to improved governance and reduced popular alienation, and it intends to press those demands across political forums while continuing constituency work.