Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary’s recent jibe describing the Opposition’s political calculations as “Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne” may have been intended as a political punchline, but it also raises a serious question: Is Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma spending more time predicting the fall of the government than fighting for the people who elected him?
In a democracy, an Opposition is not elected to wait for a government to collapse. It is elected to question, challenge, scrutinize and, most importantly, represent public concerns. Yet, much of the recent political discourse coming from the Opposition appears to revolve around one theme—the supposed instability of the Omar Abdullah government and the possibility of a change in power.
For months, predictions about the government’s downfall have dominated political statements. Every development is interpreted as a sign of an imminent collapse. Every political movement is viewed through the prism of power equations. At times, it seems that governance and public issues have taken a back seat to political forecasting.
The irony is that while political speculation continues, the real challenges facing ordinary citizens remain unresolved. People are concerned about roads, employment, healthcare, education and administrative hurdles. They expect their elected representatives to raise these issues forcefully and consistently. This expectation becomes even greater when it comes to the Leader of Opposition. The position is not merely ceremonial; it is one of the most powerful democratic offices in any legislature. The Budget Session and Assembly proceedings offer the best opportunity to highlight constituency concerns and hold the government accountable. These are the moments when people expect their representatives to be present, prepared and vocal.
Questions naturally arise when political priorities appear to lie elsewhere. If the government is to be challenged, it should be challenged on policy failures, governance lapses and unmet public commitments—not merely through repeated predictions about its survival.
More importantly, there are regions and communities that continue to wait for solutions to long-pending problems. Families affected by tragedies, citizens caught in legal and administrative complications, and people seeking relief and rehabilitation expect their representatives to champion their cause inside the Assembly. Their concerns deserve to be at the centre of political debate.
There is an old English saying: “The pot calling the kettle black.” It refers to the hypocrisy of accusing others of faults that one may also possess. In politics, the phrase becomes relevant whenever leaders repeatedly accuse opponents of being power-hungry while their own political narrative appears increasingly centred around power itself. Sunil Sharma has every democratic right to oppose the government. In fact, that is his constitutional responsibility. But the people of Jammu and Kashmir expect more than political predictions. They expect constructive opposition, serious legislative engagement and relentless advocacy for public welfare. Governments may rise and fall. Political fortunes may change. But the true measure of leadership is not how often one predicts a change in power. It is how effectively one uses the power already entrusted to them by the people. The people are waiting—not for the next political prediction, but for solutions.
