Can Farooq Abdullah act as a bridge between Delhi and J&K?

Ideological differences notwithstanding, the relationship between the BJP and the NC dates back to the days of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Omar Abdullah was the MoS for External Affairs in the Vajpayee-led government at the Centre from July 23, 2001, till December 23, 2002.

Vajpayee had taken Farooq Abdullah to the Pokhran-II nuclear explosion site within days of the test explosions in Rajasthan on May 11, 1998. Farooq was the only Chief Minister of the country to accompany the then PM to Pokhran-II.

Recalling his association with Vajpayee, Farooq Abdullah is on record to have said, “He was a great leader. He was the man who came forward with the vision of “Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat as a solution to the Kashmir problem. I am sure, had he won a majority in the 2004 parliamentary elections, many of our problems would have been resolved.”

With 42 seats, NC has emerged as the party with the largest number of seats in the 2024 Assembly polls.

Among others, Congress is likely to win 6, BJP 29, PDP 3, PC 1, CPI M 1, AAP 1 and Independents 7.

NC is firming up to form an alliance government with Congress. The two together, have the halfway mark of 48 out of the total 98 seats (90 elected seats & 5 nominated seats).

Dealing with the Central government after forming the government in a UT in which the Lt Governor holds a very important position, is going to be the real test of maturity and acumen for the elected government in J&K.

While Omar Abdullah spoke against the BJP leadership during the poll campaign without any reservation, the wily old Farooq Abdullah has never stepped outside political decency by only criticising the ideology and policy of the BJP without going personal against the BJP leaders.

Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar know they have to do business with the BJP-led Centre. Given the meagre financial resources, J&K has always been highly dependent on the Centre for financial support by way of allocation, loans through financial institutions and other developmental support systems involving technology etc.

Senior Abdullah is no novice to governance and given Omar Abdullah’s years in politics, he also is not somebody whose personal preferences can overrun his desire to govern J&K in peace and for the people’s prosperity rather than waste time in oneupmanship.

Farooq today announced that Omar would be the NC-Congress nominee for the chief minister’s post. Once he is sworn in, Omar knows better than anyone else that he is not going to wield the same authority his father, grandfather and even he had as the chief minister in the past.

A cordial relationship with the Centre and taking the Lt Governor along in all developmental and pivotal decisions would be the only logical way to carry forward the NC’s agenda to get J&K its statehood back.

Maintaining a cordial relationship with the BJP-led Centre would not create any wedge between the NC and the Congress. Congress as a national-level party is itself dealing efficiently with the Central government in states where it handles governance.

None better qualified than the senior Abdullah to work as a bridge between New Delhi and J&K. Farooq Abdullah is not new to dealing directly with Central governments otherwise believed to be less friendly with the NC.

Can the maturity of Farooq Abdullah and the desire of Omar Abdullah to lead J&K to equitable development sustain without the all-out support of New Delhi?

Would the new government in J&K ensure peace by supporting the security forces and refraining from rhetoric that hurts the people outside J&K?

Are the father and son able to keep the boat of the NC-Congress government in J&K on an even keel, this would have to be watched in the days to come.