Omar Abdullah warns statehood wait may aid BJP in J&K

For a shopkeeper in Srinagar, an election result is not just a number on television. It decides who answers when roads break, licences stall, or tourist footfall drops.

That is why the fight before counting day in Jammu and Kashmir has turned sharp. Omar Abdullah has warned that delaying government formation could help the BJP, especially if it cannot form the next government.

His argument is simple. If elected parties wait for statehood first, the Union Territory may stay longer under central rule through the Lieutenant Governor.

Omar Abdullah attacks delay call

Omar Abdullah, vice-president of the National Conference, reacted strongly to Engineer Abdul Rashid’s appeal to non-BJP parties.

Rashid, the Baramulla MP and Awami Ittehad Party chief, wants parties to delay government formation. He said they should first pressure the Centre to restore statehood.

Abdullah called that approach politically risky. In a post on X, he said such a move would play into the BJP’s hands.

His point was blunt. If the BJP cannot form a government, it would prefer continued central control in Jammu and Kashmir.

That warning matters because this election is not a routine state contest. Jammu and Kashmir has not had an elected assembly for years.

Since the 2019 changes, it has also functioned as a Union Territory. That means the elected government, once formed, may still have limited powers.

Statehood demand meets power arithmetic

Rashid’s demand taps into a real public feeling. Many voters want statehood restored, not just an assembly with clipped powers.

He told political parties that a new government would have limited authority. He also criticised the INDIA bloc and said Congress stayed quiet on Article 370.

Ghulam Hassan Mir of Apni Party also urged elected members to push for statehood before the new assembly begins work.

On paper, that may sound like a pressure tactic. In practice, it can become a trap.

If parties refuse to form a government after voters have delivered a mandate, Delhi keeps the steering wheel. The Lieutenant Governor remains the key authority.

That is the heart of Abdullah’s counter. He is saying, take whatever democratic space voters give, then fight for more.

For ordinary people, this is not abstract constitutional talk. It affects who handles daily grievances.

A hotel owner in Gulmarg, a transporter in Jammu, or a fruit trader in Sopore needs decisions made quickly. Delayed government formation means more waiting.

NC-Congress hopes after exit polls

The timing makes this argument sharper. Counting for the three-phase assembly election was due on October 8, 2024.

Exit polls had given the National Conference-Congress alliance an edge. The two parties fought the election together before polling began.

That does not guarantee a government. But it explains why alliance talk started before results.

Farooq Abdullah, the National Conference president, had said his party could take support from the Peoples Democratic Party if needed.

Omar Abdullah tried to cool that speculation. He said the PDP had not offered support, and voters had not yet spoken.

That was a sensible line. In Kashmir politics, a sentence spoken before counting can become tomorrow’s bargaining chip.

Parties also know another hard truth. A fractured mandate can give Delhi more room to influence the final shape of power.

That is why every public statement now carries weight. It signals who may align, who may resist, and who may wait.

Businesses want elected answers

Jammu and Kashmir’s economy needs more than slogans. Tourism, horticulture, transport, construction, and small retail all depend on predictable governance.

Tourism has seen strong seasons in recent years. But businesses still need basic clarity on permits, policing, infrastructure, and local taxes.

Apple growers face pricing pressure, transport costs, and weather shocks. They need elected representatives who can raise those issues daily.

Young professionals want jobs beyond government recruitment. Local entrepreneurs want internet stability, easier approvals, and fewer sudden policy changes.

Central rule can move quickly on security and large projects. But it often lacks the local pressure that an elected MLA faces every week.

That pressure matters. A minister can be questioned in the assembly. An MLA can be cornered by voters in a market.

A Lieutenant Governor’s administration does not face that same political heat. That is why elected government still matters, even with limited powers.

The BJP’s quiet advantage

The BJP’s position is also worth watching. It has invested heavily in Jammu and Kashmir’s post-2019 political structure.

If it performs strongly, it will claim public approval for that model. If it falls short, continued central rule may still suit its strategy.

Abdullah’s warning rests on that reading. He believes delaying government formation may hand the BJP a fallback option.

The bigger question is whether non-BJP parties can stay united after results. Kashmir politics has a long record of strained alliances.

Parties agree on statehood in public. But power-sharing, chief ministership, and cabinet posts often test that unity quickly.

Voters have already done their part by turning up across three phases. Now they will expect parties to respect the verdict.

For Jammu and Kashmir, the next step is not just who forms the government. It is whether that government can bring politics back within public reach. Statehood may remain the larger battle, but an elected assembly can still give people a door to knock on.