Opinion | Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to LG: Public conviction or personal convenience

When the water has reached under Mehbooba’s feet, she forgot all her criticism and labels and has reached out to the LG for reasons best known to her, without fearing that she might be called as A, B, C team of LG. Mehbooba Mufti did not reach out to the LG for any general issue like reservation, but out of desperation to seek political relevance and revive her party’s dying state.

Seven decades since independence, Kashmir’s political power has largely remained between the two regional political parties National Conference and People’s Democratic Party spearheaded by family heirs as if it is their inheritance, paving the way for dynastic rule in Kashmir; these dynastic rulers are infamously referred to as the Muftis and the Abdullahs. Political power and authority in Kashmir have moved from pillar to post, where NC has been the pillar and PDP the post; these two political dynasties have manifested a narrative of regional representation while entrenching family rule, turning politics into an inheritance rather than a democratic enterprise. While both claim to have represented and worked for the aspirations of Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmiris say otherwise, contradicting the claims of both dynastic political powers of the region; the decline in their credibility, public grudges, and resentment against them are the biggest testimonies of their fall in the political spectrum and their depleting public trust. Behind their rhetoric of political mainstreaming lies a pattern of calculated political opportunism, where loyalty to family legacy often trumps public accountability. Be it the Abdullah dynasty or the Mufti calculus, one thing is common between them, The betrayal of Representation. The NC, under the successive leadership of Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah, and Omar Abdullah, and the PDP, under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti, did little to foster internal democracy, grassroots leadership, or institutional resilience. Instead, they built personalized political empires, aligning with Delhi when it served their interests and retreating into oppositional posturing when it did not.

One recent example of political rhetoric and hypocrisy is the PDP chief’s visit to Lieutenant Governor Honourable Manoj Sinha. Mehbooba Mufti’s recent visit to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has raised eyebrows and significant attention, giving birth to many questions: is it yet another chapter in her long history of political opportunism wrapped in populist rhetoric, projected as a meeting to raise public concerns and grievances, or was the visit less about the people of Jammu and Kashmir and more about resuscitating a political legacy that has lost credibility? Once hailed as a regional leader with a “healing touch,” Mehbooba now struggles with a fractured political base, a credibility crisis, and a legacy tainted by betrayal. If we look closely, given the opportunistic and fickle nature of Kashmir’s dynastic rulers, this is less about Kashmir and more about her personal gains; due to severe public dissent and resentment, Kashmir’s two biggest political parties have lost ground and political space, and so it might be another political gimmick of Kashmir’s dynastic political leader to regain her party’s political reach and put her party back on the political map of Kashmir. This is the first time Mehbooba has reached out to the LG of J&K, and this meeting has raised several questions and attracted flak; the biggest question remains did she meet the LG to discuss reservation for Kashmiri Pandits or to revive her party’s ailing political state, using Kashmiri Pandits as a charade to hide her own agenda? Speculations, assumptions, and criticism are lingering over Mehbooba Mufti’s LG visit. Mehbooba Mufti has been heavily criticised for visiting the LG; she has been a staunch critic of the LG administration, opposing LG governance in contradiction to public sentiment. It used to be and still is a norm for party members of these two parties to paint any person who does not align with their principles or serve their interests as LG’s B-team or one from the LG brigade. As soon as the news would come out that any politician, social worker, bureaucrat, or journalist has met or even shaken hands with the LG, he would be greeted with criticism and labels; NC and PDP would call him out, tweet against him, give statements and press conferences against him, call him LG’s brigade, A, B, C team of LG, and Mehbooba Mufti would be the frontrunner in this. She even expelled her party’s Rajya Sabha member Nazir Ahmed Laway for attending the swearing-in ceremony of Jammu and Kashmir’s first LG, Mr. G.C. Murmu, in 2019. But when the water has reached under Mehbooba’s feet, she forgot all her criticism and labels and has reached out to the LG for reasons best known to her, without fearing that she might be called as A, B, C team of LG. Mehbooba Mufti did not reach out to the LG for any general issue like reservation, but out of desperation to seek political relevance and revive her party’s dying state.

Kashmir has vividly opposed the dynastic rule and has embraced LG governance in the UT of J&K. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has brought a refreshing wave of administrative efficiency and political maturity to Jammu and Kashmir. His inclusive approach to governance, focus on grassroots empowerment, and commitment to developmental projects have earned him respect across the spectrum. Under his leadership, transparency and accountability in government functioning have improved, fostering trust among citizens. His calm and pragmatic handling of sensitive issues, including security and public welfare, reflects a statesmanlike quality rare in today’s political climate. By bridging the gap between the administration and the common people, LG Sinha has played a pivotal role in shaping a progressive narrative for J&K.

So, the desperation of political leaders is visible, and they are seeking political asylum under the LG umbrella, be it the Abdullahs or the Muftis, realising their rejection and the public support for the LG mode of governance, and realised that LG Manoj Sinha is at the helm of affairs, and Mehbooba’s visit has come out of political desperation, not for any public aspiration.

The writer is a student activist and can be reached at soulofkashmir1@gmail.com