Politics of Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is administered by the Republic of India within the framework of a federal parliamentary republic as a union territory, like the union territory of Puducherry, with a multi-party democratic system of governance. Until 2019, it was governed as a state administered by India. Politics in the region reflects the historical tension and dispute that the state has been a part of in the form of the Kashmir conflict. The head of state is the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, currently Manoj Sinha, while the head of government is the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, currently vacant. Legislative power is vested in the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, although this was dissolved by the Governor on 21 November 2018. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Gulab Singh has been called the founder of the polity of Jammu and Kashmir. Following the 1860s, interaction with British India resulted in the region becoming a part of the geopolitical game between Russia and Britain. During the period of India's independence, the partition, up to and after India became a Republic, the question of Kashmir's future marked political decisions. However, after the Instrument of Accession, the political mobilisation in the state has largely widened its scope, resulting in the formation of various political parties. The functioning of the political system of the state has been weakened due to the breakdown of insurgency. The main objective of the paper is to explore and analyse the political history of the state of Jammu and Kashmir before the dawn of insurgency. The objective of this study is to discuss the roots and ideology of these political parties of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This paper is based on secondary data that have been used. The data has been collected from the books, research articles, and government reports.