Srinagar, Dec. 16 -- The official holiday calendar in Jammu and Kashmir remained unchanged for the year 2026 as well despite the wishes of the ruling National Conference government and other Kashmir parties to re-include December 5 and July 13 into the list. The J&K lieutenant governor-led administration announced the official holiday list for the year 2026 this week but did not include the two days into the calendar, second year-end in a row since the NC government led by Omar Abdullah took power. Unlike last year when the newly elected MLAs had made a lot of hue and cry over the omission, the reaction this year has been mostly muted. "The holidays listed in Annexure-'A' & 'B' to this order shall be observed in the Government Offices and educational institutions of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir during the calendar year -2026. By Order of the Lieutenant Governor, Jammu & Kashmir," said M Raju, commissioner secretary, general administration department(GAD), in an order. The elected government of Jammu and Kashmir has been seeking inclusion of July 13 (Martyrs Day) and December 5 (NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah 's birth anniversary) as official holidays after the two days were removed from the list in 2019 after the revocation of region special status and imposition of Centre's rule. Four months after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the administration of J&K union territory had changed the list of official holidays, doing away with July 13 and December 5 as official holidays and added October 26 - the day the region had acceded to union of India in 1947- to the list. On Friday, the GAD issued an order announcing UT level (28 holidays) and regional level (19 holidays) lists of official holidays to be observed in government offices and educational institutions in J&K in calendar year 2026. It did not include July 13 and December 5. July 13 was observed as Martyr's Day in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in memory of at least 21 Kashmiris who were killed by the army of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh during an uprising in 1931 when the region was a princely state. Before 2019, Kashmir would observe a shutdown every year on the day in memory of the martyrs venerated by both mainstream politicians as well as separatists. December 5 is the birthday of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who is considered J&K's tallest leader among mainstream politicians. Last year in December, J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, after observing the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, had said that they would bring back 'the holidays' into the list but after the 'bigger fight' for statehood. However, NC leader and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister's political adviser, Nasir Aslam Wani had assured last year that next the birth anniversary of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah will be announced as a holiday, which did not happen so far. The additional holiday which has made it to the list since 2020 is 'October 26'. After forming a coalition government with People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, BJP had been insistent that October 26 be celebrated as 'Accession day' across the state. Its then coalition partner PDP was reluctant to heed to the demand fearing backlash in the Kashmir valley, where many observed October 27 as 'black day'. Before the coalition government, the BJP leaders in Jammu would also observe July 13 as 'black day'. In December 2019, the BJP demands made it to the new holiday list....