When Jammu and Kashmir returned to electoral politics in October 2024 after years of central administration, the victory of Omar Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) was projected as a historic moment. Expectations were sky-high. The NC positioned itself as the natural custodian of the people’s aspirations, campaigning aggressively on its much-publicised “Naya Kashmir” agenda. The promises were sweeping, ambitious, and emotionally charged: one lakh government jobs within six months, 200 free electricity units per household, ₹5,000 monthly cash assistance to poor women, and twelve free LPG cylinders every year. These commitments were not minor pledges; they were the core pillars of the NC’s campaign and the primary reason many people voted for the party.

One year has now passed. The verdict is brutally clear. Not a single major promise has been fulfilled.

After 365 days in power, the National Conference government stands exposed as a textbook case of political overpromising and administrative underperformance. Observers across ideological lines agree that the government has failed to deliver even one flagship commitment. The much-touted “Naya Kashmir” has remained a slogan confined to election posters and speeches, while ground realities tell a story of inertia, excuses, and governance paralysis.

This failure becomes even more glaring when compared with the tenure of the preceding Lieutenant Governor–led administration under Manoj Sinha, which governed Jammu and Kashmir until late 2024. While that administration did not enjoy the legitimacy of an elected government, it undeniably delivered outcomes—visible, measurable, and tangible outcomes that the current popular government has been unable or unwilling to match.

During Manoj Sinha’s tenure, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a surge in infrastructure development across both regions. Dozens of urban projects were inaugurated in Kashmir towns alone, including community halls, bus terminals, road upgrades, drainage systems, and civic facilities that directly improved daily life. In Jammu, development gathered pace with the construction of hundreds of prefabricated, disaster-resilient “smart” homes for families displaced by militancy and natural calamities. These were not cosmetic projects meant for headlines; they were functional assets that addressed long-standing needs.

Economically, the LG administration laid a strong foundation for growth. A ₹28,400-crore industrial incentive package was rolled out and fully utilised within three years—a rare example of policy execution in the region. Thousands of new investments were attracted, including around 5,000 hotels, boosting tourism and generating employment. Production worth over ₹10,000 crore was recorded, signalling renewed economic activity. The administration repeatedly emphasised that development reached “lakhs of poor,” a claim backed by visible changes on the ground.

Under the National Conference government, that momentum has not just slowed—it has stalled.

The infrastructure gap between the two administrations is stark. Under Sinha, critical road, tunnel, and urban infrastructure projects moved forward at an unprecedented pace. In late 2023 alone, 32 projects worth ₹21.8 crore were inaugurated for small towns in Kashmir to strengthen urban infrastructure. Backward and neglected areas were specifically targeted for upliftment. The NC government, in contrast, has announced few, if any, major new infrastructure initiatives of its own. Even senior NC leaders privately concede that routine administrative files, including new business rules, remain stuck, effectively stalling governance. The now-familiar excuse that “files are pending with the LG” has become a convenient alibi for non-performance.

Journalists and local residents report that basic amenities—electricity, water supply, and roads—remain unreliable in many districts. Complaints of stalled development are growing louder. The uncomfortable truth is that most of the development visible today is the continuation of projects initiated under the LG administration. The NC government has failed to introduce any fresh flagship project that carries its own stamp of leadership.

Public services present an equally dismal picture. Education and healthcare were central priorities during the LG era. Jammu and Kashmir added 800 MBBS seats in just four years—more than it had added in the previous seven decades combined. Healthcare access expanded dramatically through Ayushman Bharat. Over 95 percent of families were covered under Golden Health Cards, and approximately 17 lakh treatments worth ₹3,120 crore were delivered, ensuring free healthcare up to ₹5 lakh per family.

Under the NC government, there has been no comparable breakthrough. Schools and hospitals continue to suffer from chronic staff shortages. Rural areas still lack reliable electricity and clean drinking water. Even more damaging to the government’s credibility is its backtracking on promises. The party that pledged 200 free electricity units per household is now proposing hikes in peak-hour power tariffs. For ordinary citizens struggling with rising costs, this reversal feels like betrayal.

Local grievances are mounting, particularly among tribal communities and economically weaker sections. Living standards have not improved. Reports continue to highlight that the lack of basic amenities in remote areas remains a serious challenge under NC rule. In effect, while the LG administration delivered concrete gains in healthcare and education, the NC government has left public services largely in limbo.

The divergence is perhaps most glaring on the issue of employment and economic opportunity. Under the LG administration, Jammu and Kashmir experienced a mini industrial boom. Investment proposals worth over ₹1.5 lakh crore flooded government desks. Startups flourished, with nearly 1,000 registered ventures, including 380 led by women. Traditional exports—handicrafts, carpets, and pashmina—nearly doubled over four years. Tourism expansion alone, driven by the establishment of 5,000 new hotels, created massive employment opportunities.

The National Conference government has failed spectacularly on this front. Job creation was one of its loudest campaign promises. A special “Youth Employment Act” was pledged, along with immediate recruitment drives. None of this has materialised. Instead of reducing unemployment, job queues have grown longer, frustration has deepened, and young people feel increasingly alienated.

Worse still, the government has been exposed for breaking its promise to waive job application fees. Despite committing to relieve unemployed youth of this financial burden, the administration has collected over ₹31 crore in application fees since October 2024. For aspirants already struggling to survive, this is not merely a policy contradiction—it is a moral failure. Rather than easing hardship, the government has monetised desperation.

Governance and transparency mark another sharp contrast. The LG administration introduced robust e-governance reforms, including online budgeting systems, digital payments, mandatory e-tendering, and real-time project tracking. These measures were designed to curb corruption and ensure timely execution. Officials spoke of “outcome-oriented governance,” and in many cases, results followed.

Under the NC government, opacity has returned. Decisions drag endlessly, accountability is weak, and public communication is evasive. Several election promises—such as enhanced women’s income support and expanded food rations—have quietly disappeared without explanation. The administration appears unwilling to admit failure, choosing silence over honesty.

Social welfare, too, has suffered neglect. The LG government rolled out targeted relief for the poorest, including welfare pensions, subsidised services, and disaster-resilient housing. By 2025, near-universal health coverage had been achieved. Under NC rule, no equivalent welfare initiative has been launched. Instead, ministers now argue that fulfilling such promises is financially unviable—a stunning admission that exposes the hollowness of their campaign rhetoric.

Beyond passing a single symbolic resolution calling for restoration of statehood and special status, the NC government has delivered little of substance. Symbolism has replaced governance, and grievance politics has replaced administration.

In conclusion, one year is more than enough time to demonstrate intent, direction, and seriousness. The National Conference government has demonstrated none. Compared with the preceding LG administration’s record of infrastructure development, economic revival, healthcare expansion, and governance reform, the NC’s performance appears woefully inadequate. Ordinary people increasingly feel that while the earlier administration built roads, homes, hospitals, and livelihoods, the current government has offered little beyond slogans and excuses.

Jammu and Kashmir did not vote for nostalgia or recycled politics. It voted for delivery. One year on, the verdict is unmistakable: the National Conference has failed to live up to its promises, failed to govern effectively, and failed to justify the trust placed in it. If this trajectory continues, this government will be remembered not as a symbol of democratic restoration, but as a lost opportunity—one that turned hope into disappointment and promises into empty words.