Will Omar Abdullah return as CM of J-K? Yes, says NC chief Farooq Abdullah

J-K Assembly elections: The National Conference and Congress alliance is expected to secure 47 to 52 seats in 90-seat Assembly, well over the 46-majority mark

Omar Abdullah is set to return as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, according to a statement made by his father, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah. Speaking to the media on Tuesday as counting of votes continued, Farooq Abdullah highlighted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have given their mandate in the latest elections. He said that the people had rejected the controversial decisions made on August 5, 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked.

“Omar Abdullah will be the chief minister,” declared Farooq Abdullah in his remarks, confirming the party’s leadership intentions.

The National Conference has performed strongly in the elections, winning eight seats so far, and leading in 33 others. Its alliance partner Congress has also secured one seat and is leading in five. Projections indicate that the NC-Congress alliance is on course to win between 47 and 52 seats, surpassing the 46-seat majority required to form the government in the 90-seat Assembly.

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Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 10 seats and is leading in 19 others, per the latest Election Commission data.

Omar Abdullah leads in Ganderbal and Budgam

Omar Abdullah has previously represented the Ganderbal constituency, a traditional stronghold of the National Conference, before shifting to the Beerwah constituency in the 2014 Assembly elections.

In the current elections, Omar Abdullah is leading in both the Ganderbal and Budgam constituencies. In Ganderbal, he holds a lead of 8,558 votes ahead of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Bashir Ahmad Mir. Meanwhile, in Budgam, he is leading against PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi.

Who is Omar Abdullah?

Omar Abdullah had previously held the position of J-K chief minister from January 2009 to March 2015. He is a member of the National Conference, a party founded by his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah. The NC has been a strong party in the region, alongwith the PDP.

Omar Abdullah began his political journey in the late 1990s, securing a seat in the 12th Lok Sabha from the Srinagar constituency in the 1998 general elections. He was appointed as Union Minister of State for External Affairs in 2001 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

When Omar Abdullah became Chief Minister in 2009, he was one of the youngest leaders to hold the office. Among the most testing moments of his leadership was the 2010 Kashmir unrest, which saw widespread protests and violence.

In addition to handling political unrest, Omar Abdullah's government focused on development, working on infrastructural improvements and social welfare programmes aimed at boosting employment and improving the economy in the region.