Kashmir finally gets elected government with limited powers

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir

After six years, an elected government was sworn in Wednesday in Indian-administered Kashmir, amid concerns that its limited powers might not meet the expectations of the people.

Omar Abdullah, who had previously served as a chief minister of the Muslim-majority region and a junior foreign minister in the Indian government, took the oath for another term as chief minister.

Indian-administered Kashmir lost its political autonomy and was downgraded from a full-fledged state to a federally ruled territory on Aug. 5, 2019. It was was also divided into two entities: Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah's National Conference party secured 42 seats in the elections, falling three short of a 45-seat majority in the 90-seat legislative assembly.

However, the party enjoys a stable position with the support of the Congress party's six seats, four seats held by independents, and two members of smaller political parties. India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 29 seats in Hindu-majority districts of Jammu but none in the Kashmir valley.

Congress said it would not join the new government’s council of ministers, expressing dissatisfaction over the region's statehood not being restored. Tariq Karra, Congress' chief for Jammu and Kashmir, told reporters that the party would continue its fight for the restoration of its previous status.

Abdullah is a third-generation leader, with his father, Farooq Abdullah, holding the post twice and his grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah the first prime minister of the semi-sovereign region.

From 2018 to Aug. 5, 2019, New Delhi ruled the region directly through a governor, who held authority comparable to an elected government. Since being designated a federally ruled territory, Jammu and Kashmir has been governed by a lieutenant governor with even greater powers.

In the days leading up to the swearing-in, the new government even lost the authority to appoint low-ranking civil servants, prompting critics to label it a "lori dastaar," a Kashmiri term meaning "a stick wearing a turban."

Abdullah had initially announced he would not contest elections for an assembly with severely limited powers but later reversed his decision.

India's former home minister, P. Chidambaram, a vocal critic of the August 2019 decision, tweeted that the new government should first demand the restoration of statehood, and if denied, take the matter to the Supreme Court.

Jammu and Kashmir is to remain a union territory under coming under direct federal control, with Indian Parliament as its highest legislative body. Previously, the region had its own Constitution, flag, and bicameral legislative assembly that could pass laws independent of the Indian parliament.

Another article of the Indian constitution, also revoked on Aug. 5, 2019, had barred outsiders from buying property or securing government jobs in the region, raising concerns about potential demographic changes.