A major political row erupted as the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor’s authority to nominate five members to the Legislative Assembly stirred controversy ahead of today’s vote counting. The Congress, along with its ally National Conference, and Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), argue that this power undermines the people’s mandate, claiming it could be used to favor the BJP.
Exit polls, which have predicted a hung assembly, have heightened concerns for these parties. However, they suggest that the Congress-National Conference alliance is leading in the race.
The BJP, contesting the election independently, has never governed Jammu and Kashmir on its own. After forming a government with the PDP following the 2014 election, the BJP withdrew from the alliance in 2018. In 2019, the central government revoked Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, and bifurcated it into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. This election marks the first assembly vote in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade.
Opposition parties argue that granting Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha the power to nominate five members could give the BJP a decisive edge in forming the government. Following the Delimitation Commission’s reorganization, Jammu was allocated 43 seats and Kashmir 47, but the addition of five nominated members could swing the majority in the BJP’s favor, they claim.
A new rule allows the Lt Governor to nominate five individuals—two women, two Kashmiri Pandits, and a displaced person from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)—to the assembly. This brings the total number of seats to 95 and raises the majority threshold to 48. These nominated members would enjoy the same legislative rights and privileges as elected representatives.
The Congress has strongly criticized the move, calling it an “assault on democracy” and the people’s mandate. The National Conference has vowed to take the issue to the Supreme Court if such nominations are made. Party leader and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah stated, “If they proceed with this, we will challenge it in the Supreme Court. What is the point of forming a government if the Lord Sahib remains in control? We must stand against this.”
Stay tuned for further developments as the situation unfolds.
