
THIS is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the region was designated a Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, passed on 9 August, 2019. Once an autonomous state within the Indian Union, J&K had extensive powers, including its own prime minister and Sadre-Riyasat until 1965, when these positions were replaced by that of the chief minister and governor.
Ahead of the announcement of the election in July 2024, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) expanded the administrative powers of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) significantly.
The move made former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah angry.
"The people of J&K deserve better than a powerless rubber stamp CM who will have to beg the LG to get his/her peon appointed," Abdullah said. Both Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti said they would not participate in the election in a Union Territory, but when the election was announced, they had a change of heart. However, the NC vice president soon realised it was a tough fight. He had lost the North Kashmir Baramulla parliamentary seat earlier this year to jailed leader Engineer Rashid.
So, an uncertain Abdullah decided to contest from two constituencies this time: Baramulla and Ganderbal. Mehbooba Mufti abstained from contesting in the polls herself, but has been campaigning vigorously all across Jammu and Kashmir and also for her daughter, Iltija Mufti, in the Bijbehara constituency.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold

Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful

Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago

Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort

Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film

Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles

The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha

How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry

The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers

Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee