Srinagar: After completing two years, the Omar Abdullah government in Jammu and Kashmir is facing growing criticism over its governance. Major questions being raised point to unmet election-time promises and the chief minister’s own approach towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in New Delhi. Critics of the government, including political observers, Opposition leaders and even some members of his own party are questioning his promises and approach towards the restoration of the erstwhile state’s pre-2019 position.After taking oath as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on October 16, 2024, people witnessed local governance after years of direct control by the Union government. The erstwhile state was controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which appointed the Lieutenant Governor, who was in charge of all administrative affairs and most other matters.Omar Abdullah’s party, the National Conference, remained out of power for nearly a decade, including in this era. He has repeatedly said that his government faces difficulties in governing Jammu and Kashmir under what he calls a “hybrid” and “dual” system of governance.The political landscape of the region changed after Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh through the Reorganisation Act passed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government in August 2019.“Performance-wise, these two years depict a mixed bag, heavily tilted towards non-performance. They restored the durbar move [moving government offices to Jammu during winters, that had been stopped by the LG], March Session but they couldn’t deliver on restoration of Article 370 or statehood,” political analyst and author, Dr Sheikh Showkat told The Wire.Also read: Seven Years After the Reading Down of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir Remains UnsettledIn the last two years, Abdullah kept telling the media and repeating in the Assembly that the Lieutenant Governor, appointed by the Union government, held decisive administrative powers that strictly limited the role of a chief minister. Non-BJP politicians in Jammu and Kashmir consider the LG a “viceroy from Delhi”.“Administratively, they [the elected governments] remain sandwiched between expectant masses and a stubborn, hostile central government,” Showkat said, adding, “On account of the mandate they were given, people expected them to be more assertive. They remain a handicapped government finding excuse in lack of powers.”However, Omar’s reasons are excuses to his critics, who say the limitations he describes do not fully justify the gap between the National Conference’s election-time promises and its performance since it came in power.“No doubt, as a Union Territory, you have limitations. But despite this, you have powers. They (the National Conference government) failed to exercise the power that it had by virtue of being a Union Territory,” says Sajad Lone, the MLA representing Handwara and president of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference.“There are hundreds of examples for this,” Lone said. “This government is non-existent on the ground. It exists only in the sphere of transfers of government officials. That’s it.”The National Conference had promises 12 ‘guarantees’ in its 2024 Assembly election manifesto. Some important guarantees include political rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir , employment generation, free electricity.His opponents say that these promises were just “jumlas [empty remarks]” and were impossible to fulfil. “Even if we had full statehood and Article 370, still those promises could not have been fulfilled. The promises were made to get vote nothing else. Politicians lie across the world during elections. It is the people who decide who is lying,” said Lone.Other major commitments made by NC included repealing the Public Safety Act (PSA), releasing political prisoners and ending what it described as unjust dismissals of government employees. It also pledged to transfer hydro-power projects from the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to Jammu and Kashmir, that saw no visible progress. The party had promised to increase the region’s share of free electricity generated by NHPC-owned projects from 10& to 40%.Also read: Full Text | ‘Statehood is the Minimum J&K Should Have; It Should’ve Happened Long Back’: Salman Soz“Unfortunately, the people have to share the blame. Someone somewhere had to see what is being promised and whether it is possible to fulfill the promise,” Lone said, pointing to budgetary loopholes in the promises.During the 2024 election campaign, Omar Abdullah and his party’s main assurance was that on coming to power their main focus would be on restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s pre-August 5, constitutional position. They also vowed to fight for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, statehood and the region’s former constitution and flag. All these issues remained unresolved.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the ‘Delhi Chalo: We Want Our Statehood’ rally, at Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu, July 12, 2026. Photo: PTINational Conference’s manifesto included free drinking water, better implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission and improved water access in remote areas.The social welfare package included Rs 5,000 per month for female heads of economically weaker households, 12 free LPG cylinders annually for eligible families and a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to widows.The party’s manifesto also promised one lakh jobs for young people. It proposed filling vacant government posts within 180 days.Waheed Para, a senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA from Pulwama, described the government’s performance as ineffective and highlighted what he called “failures”.“Youth unemployment and recruitment delays remain unaddressed, public services such as power, water, and roads have not improved, and the reservation issue is still unresolved. Its poll promises have gone unfulfilled,” Parra told The Wire.According to political analysts, progress on the manifesto has been uneven. The government has moved towards implementing its free electricity promise for a limited group of households. However, the scheme was narrowed to families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). These households account for around 8.6% of the population.The debate over governance intensified during the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s recent autumn session. Omar Abdullah moved a resolution demanding the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “The J&K government has created a governance vacuum, failing on both political and administrative fronts. Despite having 50 MLAs, it could neither fight for the people nor deliver governance. It has failed to secure the restoration of statehood or to press the Centre on special status, and it has allowed unelected authority to dominate key departments,” Para said.NC’s fight for statehoodThe National Conference government has passed two major resolutions in the Assembly. The first, passed in November 2024, sought the restoration of constitutional rights. The second, passed in September 2026, demanded the restoration of statehood. The party says these resolutions demonstrate its continued commitment to the political aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir’s people.However, critics highlight that the resolutions have not produced tangible changes on the ground. They also question the government’s progress on the restoration of special status, the release of political prisoners and other political commitments. “The government has failed miserably. It took two years to pass a resolution on statehood. The resolution on Article 370 did not mention Article 370 by name,” Lone said.Also read: ‘Considerable Anger Against Union, LG Administration in Jammu and Kashmir’: Forum for Human Rights ReportThe party further pledged to encourage dialogue between India and Pakistan and reduce the difficulties caused by military convoy movements on highways. The locals from the South Kashmir have repeatedly alleged random checks and highway closures by the army to create a green corridor for the convoy showing this too failed.NC defends its recordNational Conference leaders reject the criticism that the government has failed. They argue that the administration still has three years left in its term to fulfil its manifesto commitments. The party points to its welfare measures and the two Assembly resolutions on constitutional rights and statehood as evidence of progress.A senior party leader, speaking anonymously, acknowledged a gap between the promises made during the 2024 election campaign and the results achieved so far. This leader said that the manifesto had set “ambitious goals”, particularly on political rights, employment, and economic relief.However, the government adopted a cautious approach because of the institutional limitations of governing a Union Territory, the leader said. He said the main challenge was to turn political commitments into practical results while maintaining public confidence.Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the party’s Srinagar Member of Parliament, has emerged as a prominent internal critic. He has accused the Union government and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of undermining Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights and accused his own party of betraying the public on statehood issue.“Changing geopolitics, dissent within India and negative image of central government post ‘Operation Sindoor’ could have been capitalised by the National Conference government they lack will as well as strategy. Dissent within the party however is forcing them to change passive attitude,” Showkat said.Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) President Farooq Abdullah along with party MLA Mubarak Gul, in Srinagar, July 29, 2026. Photo: PTIMehdi has also criticised Omar Abdullah for what he describes as surrendering to the Union government. Addressing a public rally in Kishtwar in the Chenab Valley, Mehdi said his opposition extended to the central leadership, the Lieutenant Governor and his own party’s leadership.He argued that the struggle for constitutional rights required political conscience and accountability. He also referred to his expected departure from Parliament on November 3, 2026. His remarks reflect growing differences within the National Conference over how to pursue the restoration of political rights and statehood.“We could all see Omar Abdullah, desperately bending backwards, trying to please the same BJP against whom he got votes. Not only did he get votes by speaking against them, he also accused all his opponents of being in league with them,” Lone said.