(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s main political opponent in India’s troubled Jammu and Kashmir region says restoring power to the people will be a priority if his party wins local elections that begin this week.
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Omar Abdullah, who is seen as the likely next prime minister of the region if his coalition wins the most seats in local elections, said state sovereignty is necessary for peace and stability.
“The first thing an elected government should do is demand immediate restoration of the state,” Abdullah, 54, said in an interview at his home in Srinagar, where he leads an alliance between his party — the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference — and the Indian National Congress, the country’s main opposition group.
In August 2019, Modi stripped Jammu and Kashmir, the country’s only Muslim-majority state, of its autonomy by downgrading its status to a union territory, bringing it under federal control. Part of the region was also carved out into a separate union territory known as Ladakh. At the same time, Modi’s party amended the constitution to remove Article 370, which had given the people of Jammu and Kashmir special privileges and the ability to make their own laws, except in the areas of defense, external affairs, communications and finance.
Local elections in Jammu and Kashmir — to be held in three phases from September 18 to October 1 — are the first since the state lost its autonomy five years ago. Residents will elect 90 candidates to the assembly, with the party or coalition winning the most seats and choosing a prime minister.
Unlike a state, a union territory with a legislature has limited powers. The prime minister has no control over key functions such as police, health and finance, which fall under the authority of the central government — represented in the region by the lieutenant governor.
Abdullah and his allies want to see state powers returned to Jammu and Kashmir, giving local legislatures more say in governance. Restoring statehood was the first step toward that goal, the political leader said in the interview.
“After that, we will try to implement the promises made to improve the quality of governance and delivery of services to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Abdullah is contesting the elections from two constituencies.
Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress party leader and ally of Abdullah, vowed at a September 4 election rally in south Kashmir that state sovereignty would be restored to the region, whether Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party wants it or not.
According to legal experts, the process of restoring Jammu and Kashmir as a state will not be easy.
“Restoring the state would be a time-consuming task as the Lt. Governor will first have to make a recommendation to the federal government, which will then move Parliament to amend the 2019 Act,” said Abani Sahu, senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India and constitutional lawyer.
The BJP is contesting 62 of the 90 seats up for grabs, the majority of which are in Jammu’s Hindu-dominated constituencies. Abdullah’s main battle will be against the People’s Democratic Party, led by Mehbooba Mufti, also a former chief minister in the state.
Separatist sentiment
Avinash Mohananey, who previously worked in the Kashmir office of the central government’s home ministry, said there are a number of independent candidates — some of whom are affiliated with separatist movements — who can determine the election outcome.
“Omar Abdullah’s alliance has an edge despite being vilified by the BJP. But a lot depends on how the independent candidates, of which there are a significant number, fare and which candidates they choose after the elections,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir has been plagued by separatist violence for decades, with frequent clashes between militants and the Indian army. Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both Pakistan and India, but divided and controlled by both countries.
Fearing protests after the state revoked its autonomy in 2019, Modi’s government blocked internet access, jailed leaders including Abdullah for months and restricted his political activities.
The election results will be announced on Oct. 8, coinciding with the counting of votes in the northern Indian state of Haryana, home to companies including Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
The regional elections come just months after Modi’s party returned to power in June with a smaller majority in parliament. While a victory for Abdullah’s coalition in the Jammu and Kashmir elections would not threaten Modi’s federal government, it would be another symbolic blow to the prime minister’s strongman image.
“I don’t think there is anyone who is ready to compromise on state sovereignty,” Abdullah said. “Making us a union territory was just to humiliate us.”
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