PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday made an appearance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as a guest, eight years after she was unseated by the BJP’s withdrawal of support, and called for united efforts to restore the institution’s glory.

The eight-year period is marked by the striking decline of perhaps the most powerful Assembly in the country, protected by Articles 370 and 35A, to arguably the weakest elected regional body.

“I visited the Assembly today and felt good. It especially reminded me of my father (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) and how it was like then. Our Assembly is a very important institution. However, its status value and authority have, in one way or another, been diminished since 2019,” Mehbooba told reporters after leaving the Assembly.

Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status under Articles 370 and 35A in 2019 and was bifurcated into two Union Territories. After years of procrastinating, the Centre allowed Assembly elections in 2024 but its promise of restoring statehood remains a pipedream.

The elected chief minister’s powers pale in comparison to those of the lieutenant governor, a nominee of the Centre.

A grim-looking Mehbooba watched the Assembly proceedings from the Speaker’s gallery and remained present for some time during Question Hour. All four PDP MLAs were in attendance.

Mehbooba later said her party would support the efforts to rebuild the Assembly gradually. “The PDP will certainly play its role, but the ruling party (NC) also has a major responsibility,” she said. “I firmly believe that through collective efforts of both the government and the Opposition, the lost strength of the J&K Assembly can be restored.”

Targeting chief minister Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba said several bills introduced in the House did not necessarily require statehood. “They can be passed within the existing Union framework,” she said, referring to bills dealing with the creation of new divisions and districts and granting ownership rights to the poor living on small plots of land for many years.

Many in Kashmir accuse the PDP of paving the way for the state’s decline by bringing the BJP to power for the first time as its coalition partner.

In the 2014 elections, the party had sought votes as the only force that could take on a resurgent BJP. However, it sprung a surprise by joining hands with the same party to form the government. Mehbooba was unceremoniously removed as chief minister when the BJP withdrew its support in 2018.

When elections were declared in 2024, Mehbooba swore not to contest for a “powerless Assembly that could not pass a law” or whose chief minister could not withdraw an FIR. The party fought the elections independently, but clocked its lowest tally.

With Omar’s popularity taking a hit, Mehbooba has positioned herself as a strong opponent.

She said it was the government’s responsibility to fulfil its promises, especially on employment, reservation and regularisation.