The return of an elected assembly in Jammu and Kashmir after nearly half a decade of direct central rule has undoubtedly been celebrated as a democratic milestone. However, the days and weeks that have followed the election results reveal an uncomfortable reality: despite a clear mandate, political leadership – particularly that of the National Conference – has been more focused on narrative battles than governance agendas. This raises a legitimate, if inconvenient, question: was Jammu and Kashmir more effectively governed under the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and his technocratic team than it is likely to be under a resurgent but rhetorically preoccupied political class?

This debate is no longer abstract. It is unfolding in real time, as citizens weigh the visible outcomes delivered during LG-led governance against the increasingly vocal but seemingly directionless assertions of the elected leadership. To answer this question, we must dive into empirical evidence, administrative records, public sentiment, and institutional behavior, while remaining conscious of the larger constitutional and emotional stakes involved.

2019 to 2024: A Period of Administrative Stability

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was administered by a Union-appointed LG and two divisional commissioners overseeing the Jammu and Kashmir regions respectively. These two divisional commissioners handled the Union Territory in a way 90-member assembly is finding difficult to achieve. What appeared, at first, as a democratic vacuum gradually morphed into a model of technocratic governance, focused less on political negotiation and more on public service delivery, developmental execution, and security stabilization.

Under LG Manoj Sinha, a quiet but determined administrative recalibration unfolded. Officers were seen in offices, not in wazwans. Between 2020 and 2023, the UT recorded significant increases in infrastructural investments. The J&K Industrial Policy 2021 invited proposals worth over ₹70,000 crore, drawing interest from national and international investors. Road connectivity improved with long-stalled projects like the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway receiving accelerated attention. Health infrastructure saw expansion, particularly in district hospitals and primary health centers. Schemes like PMGSY, PMAY, and Jal Jeevan........

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