Governance Gaps In J&K Post 2024 Elections

Ahmad Ayaz

The 2024 Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir marked a crucial democratic milestone: the return of an elected government after years of direct central rule under the Lieutenant Governor (LG). The high voter turnout reflected a renewed public trust in democratic processes and a collective desire for responsive governance, accessible leadership, and improved service delivery. Yet, months after the elections, the dominant sentiment in the streets, villages, and administrative corridors is one of disappointment. Despite the restoration of democracy, citizens across the Union Territory are asking a straightforward question:

“What Has Really Changed After The Elections?” The expectations were high. The delivery has fallen short. While political debates continue around statehood, the gap between public expectations and ground-level governance has widened. This article examines what has changed, what has not, and why the elected government is struggling with responsibilities that clearly lie within its constitutional domain — especially when compared with the relatively better delivery and accountability witnessed during the LG administration.

1. 2024 Elections|A Moment of Hope — And a Demand For Better Governance: The 2024 elections were the first major democratic exercise after years of bureaucratic administration. People voted with hope — and with a message: “We want a government we can reach, question, and hold accountable.” The key expectations were: Accessible leadership, Faster response to daily problems, Improved public services, Better electricity, water supply, roads, health, education, and Visible development on the ground. But the return of democratic governance has not translated into visible improvements across sectors. Many now feel that the administration has become less responsive and less disciplined compared to the LG period.
2. The Government’s Repeated Line| “We Can’t Deliver Without Statehood” : One of the dominant political narratives after government formation was: “We are unable to deliver because statehood has not been restored.” This line has been repeatedly used in speeches and political messaging — but it does not withstand constitutional scrutiny. Under the constitutional framework for Union Territories with legislatures: Everything except police and public order lies under the elected government. Ministers head departments and are responsible for service delivery. The Cabinet is fully empowered to run administration.

This means the elected government controls and is accountable for:

Power

Drinking water

Roads & public works

Urban development

Education

Health

Rural development

Tourism

Transport

Agriculture & horticulture

Social welfare

Employment schemes

Municipal services

None of these require statehood to perform efficiently. Statehood is a political aspiration. Governance is an administrative responsibility. The two cannot be measured with a single yardstick.

3. LG Administration vs. Elected Govt|A Difficult but Necessary Comparison: A balanced analysis requires acknowledging that the LG administration had its limitations — it lacked elected legitimacy and public representation. However, in terms of delivery, discipline, and accountability, citizens across J&K widely acknowledge: The LG administration was comparatively more efficient, more disciplined, and more accountable. People observed: Faster project execution, strict timelines and monitoring, regular field inspections, Predictable services, Better digital public service platforms, fewer layers of political interference, Delivery was far from perfect, but it was tighter, cleaner, and more structured. In contrast, after the formation of the elected government, citizens are witnessing: Slower decision-making, Increased political interference, Reduced pace of developmental works, Declining accountability in departments, Lesser field supervision, Confusion over administrative priorities, Difficulty in accessing ministers, Delayed responses to grievances. The contrast is now widely discussed — not only in public forums but in administrative circles as well. During the LG administration, accountability and delivery were comparatively better.

  “The major inconveniences facing households in J&K (like power cuts, water shortages, broken roads, and traffic) are issues of leadership, administration, and commitment, not statehood. It credits the LG administration with showing that efficient governance is possible. The newly elected democratic government was expected to be even stronger, faster, and more accountable to deliver results for the people who fulfilled their duty by voting.”

After the elections, a visible administrative duplicacy and slowdown have emerged.

4. Why Accountability Declines After Elections: Certain structural weaknesses in J&K amplify the delivery gap:
5. Political Gate Keeping : Ministers are surrounded by workers, blocking direct public access.
6. Bureaucratic Hesitation : Officers prefer to wait for political directions rather than act swiftly.
7. Political Priorities Override Governance: Transfers, postings, fund allocations — many decisions get politicized.
8. More Ceremonies, Less Execution: Inaugurations increase; deadlines are missed.
9. Confusion Of Authority: Dual power centres (LG vs Cabinet) create delays and indecision.

During LG rule, Hierarchy Was Clear: Under the elected regime, administrative anxiety and overlapping authority slow down decisions.

5. Key Sectors Where Public Disappointment Is Growing: Across the Valley, Jammu region, and remote districts, feedback is consistent.

Electricity: Long and unpredictable outages, Poor grievance redressal, No clear curtailment schedules.

Water Supply:  Erratic supply even in urban areas, Delayed repairs, Lack of public communication

Roads & Infrastructure: Broken internal roads, Slow tenders and weak supervision, Pending drainage projects.

Urban Governance: Non-functional traffic signals, Unregulated transport system, Poor municipal cleanliness, Chaotic parking and traffic management, Education & Health: Staff shortages, Infrastructure gaps, Delayed administrative approvals

Employment & Youth Progs| Slow Processing, Weak Engagement With Youth, Increasing Frustration Among Job Seekers: Citizens expected visible improvements after elections — instead, they feel governance has slowed down.

6. The Statehood Argument| Why It Fails The Test Of Delivery: The elected government’s constant reliance on the “statehood” line creates three major problems: It Shifts Responsibility Away From Performance. Daily-life services do not depend on statehood. It erodes public trust. People see excuses, not solutions.

It ignores constitutional Reality. Ministers hold full power over 95% of governance functions.

Statehood Cannot Fix: Broken roads, Water shortages, Traffic mismanagement, School and hospital gaps, Garbage issues, Only good administration can.

7. Public Expectations Are Still High — But Still Unmet : The 2024 elections renewed hope. People expected: Accessible ministers, Faster decisions, Visible changes within months, Regular outreach programs, Accountability of officers, Transparent spending. But the delivery gap is widening. People are now asking for performance, not political explanations.
8. What the Government Must Do Now — A 10-Point Course Correction: For governance to improve, the elected government must absorb the strengths of LG-rule while ensuring democratic legitimacy.
9. Weekly public grievance hearings
10. Strict timelines for departments
11. Reduce political interference
12. Predictable power schedules
13. Repair internal roads & drainage
14. Fix traffic signals and regulate transport
15. Strengthen municipal bodies
16. Transparent public dashboards
17. Regular field inspections by ministers
18. Deliver at least a few major promises within the year

Governance improves when accessibility, discipline, and accountability are enforced — not requested.

9. Conclusion: Democracy Has Returned — Now Delivery Must Return Too. The 2024 elections restored democratic governance in J&K. What people now seek is a restoration of efficiency, discipline, and responsiveness. While political debates continue, households still struggle with: Power cuts, Water shortages, Broken roads, Traffic chaos and delayed services. These issues do not require statehood. They require leadership, administrative discipline, and commitment. The LG administration showed that efficient governance is possible.

Now the elected government must show that democratic governance can be stronger, faster, and more accountable. The people of J&K kept their promise by voting. It is now the government’s responsibility to deliver — not with excuses, but with results.

(The author is a freelancer. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)