President’s Rule Revoked in Jammu and Kashmir

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts:

President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir has been revoked, paving the way for Omar Abdullah’s government formation. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah met with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday to stake his claim. This change follows the recent Assembly elections held in J&K, the first in 10 years.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth:

The official order to revoke President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir has been issued, clearing the path for the formation of a new government led by Omar Abdullah. This decision came after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah met with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday to stake his claim for forming a new government.

The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir marked the first such elections in the region after a gap of 10 years. President’s rule was imposed in the region after the PDP-BJP alliance collapsed on June 19, 2018. In 2019, the government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and converted the erstwhile state into a Union Territory.

Omar Abdullah was unanimously elected as the leader of the National Conference legislative party, paving the way for his second term as Chief Minister. His first term, from 2009 to 2014, was under the NC-Congress coalition government when Jammu and Kashmir was a state.

The National Conference (NC) won 42 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, while Congress secured only six—five in Kashmir and one in Jammu. The two parties formed a pre-poll alliance, which is now strengthened by the support of four independent MLA-elects and one from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the second-largest party with 29 seats.

The elections, held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, were the first since Article 370 was revoked, marking a historic event.