Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to the under-construction AIIMS at Awantipora caused a stir in Valley’s political circles and a consternation in the National Conference (NC). While there was nothing strictly unconstitutional in her visiting a public infrastructure project, the move clearly violated established norms of governance protocol and propriety. It also sets a troubling precedent which legitimately invites accusations of overreach and external orchestration. 

What made it worse is the lack of even a modicum of civility and cordiality. Scoffing at the “cloudburst” promise would have been fine in a political rally but not in an administered meeting. It lowered the threshold of deference due to a legitimately elected Chief Minister. Also, it undermined his informal authority, a vital compensatory resource in the current setup of curtailed powers. Even Mehbooba Mufti’s recent letter to Omar Abdullah for a coordinated outreach was largely an exercise in optics. The letter was put in public domain before Omar could respond. Genuine political initiatives of this nature are normally pursued quietly through trusted backchannels, not through newspaper headlines. When communication is shaped more for public positioning than for substantive engagement, it deepens distrust rather than building consensus.

This approach is self-defeating insofar as it is delegitimising the very office she once held and clearly aspires to occupy again. It is no longer merely about weakening a political rival; she is weakening the very instrument of power she hopes to wield in the future. Omar Abdullah, while letting her get under his skin, is disdainfully dismissive of such transgressions. He unleashes his team of young spokespersons, who in being more loyal than the King, take the standard of political discourse to pedestrian levels. It is now a daily slanging match. It is tragic that two leaders who share enough -- a Valley, a constituency of grievance, a common adversary in Delhi’s indifference – not to have built something lasting. It is schadenfreude politics at its best: when........

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