Two power centres are recipe for disaster: Omar

Urges Centre to keep its promise and restore statehood to J&K at earliest

- Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has bluntly termed the dual governance model in the union territory -- where he shares power with the lieutenant governor -- a "recipe for disaster", as he urged the Centre to keep its promise and restore statehood to the region at the earliest.

In his first sit-down interview since assuming office in October, Omar expressed cautious optimism over the Centre's commitment to restoring J&K's statehood, citing repeated promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during election campaigns.

The chief minister's candid remarks underscore the complex political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, and the difficulties in pushing for a more defined and unified administrative leadership by virtue of getting statehood.

Omar drew parallels with corporate leadership, challenging anyone to name a successful business with multiple leaders.

"Let me just say this, having two power centres anywhere is a recipe for disaster. No organisation works well if there are multiple power centres... there is a reason why our sports team has one captain. You don't have two captains. Similarly, you don't have two prime ministers or two power centres in the government of India. And most of India has one elected chief minister who is empowered with their cabinet to take decisions," he told PTI's senior editors at its headquarters.

"A dual power centre system is never going to work," he said, citing the example of Delhi where the government shares power with the lieutenant governor in what has been a bitter and fractious experience.