2002 and Beyond

The period after 2002 in Jammu and Kashmir is a story of coalition governments, political instability, rising terrorism, and finally a fundamental constitutional change. The textbook traces this through a sequence of governments and key events.

Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) became Chief Minister in 2002 as part of a coalition agreement. He served for the first three years, after which Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Indian National Congress (INC) took over. Azad, however, could not complete his full term — President's Rule was imposed in July 2008.

Fresh elections were held in November-December 2008. This led to another coalition government, this time between the National Conference (NC) and the INC, with Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister in 2009. Despite this elected government, the state continued to face disturbances led by the Hurriyat Conference, a political amalgam of separatist parties.

The 2014 election was a landmark: it recorded the highest voter turnout in 25 years. The result was a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of the PDP, with the BJP as its partner. After Mufti Sayeed's death, his daughter Mahbooba Mufti became the first woman Chief Minister of the state in April 2016.

Her tenure was marked by major acts of terrorism and mounting external and internal tensions. In June 2018, the BJP withdrew its support from the government, leading to the imposition of President's Rule once again.

The most dramatic change came on 5 August 2019. Article 370, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated through the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019. The state was bifurcated into two Union Territories: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.