Omar Abdullah to Contest Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections from Ganderbal

Omar Abdullah to Contest Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections from Ganderbal

Omar Abdullah, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has announced that he will run for state assembly in the Ganderbal district. This is a formidable bulwark for the National Conference and a three-generational electoral stronghold for the Abdullah family.

On its part, the constituency saw the NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah win it for the first time in 1977. His son Farooq Abdullah made it to Parliament from here four times in the years 1983, 1987, and 1996.

The present NC candidate Omar Abdullah made his debut from Ganderbal in 2008. Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar is a new kid on the block who won the seat for the NC in 2014, though he had unsuccessfully contested the seat as a Congressman last time.

Omar Abdullah had refused to contest the assembly elections till the time the state of Jammu and Kashmir is restored to full statehood in wake of the abrogation of Article 370 and formation of two Union Territories.

His stance has changed after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the last-leg assembly polls of the country, by fixing the dates for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections on 16th August.

Abdullah’s candidature figures in the second list of 32 party candidates for the National Conference, while both the parties seem to be agreed on the seat-sharing in which the NC will contest 51 seats, the Congress Party will fight in 32, and there will be a friendly contest in five seats; it has also reserved two seats for its allies, the CPI(M) and the National Panthers Party.

It was also officially finalized that the Congress and the National Conference alliance formed after Farooq and Omar Abdullah met Rahul Gandhi along with Mallikarjun Kharge at Kharge’s residence in Gupkar.

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Congress leader KC Venugopal had a conversation with the media, reporting that the alliance aims at protecting the identity of Jammu and Kashmir. “While the BJP attempted to destroy the soul of Jammu and Kashmir, the INDIA bloc worked on saving it. We shall stay united and resolute to giving Jammu and Kashmir a government,” he said.