Page 11 - Omar Abdullah

Ganderbal prestige battle for Omar Abdullah; faces tough fight from PDP

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah is facing a battle of prestige in his bid to reclaim the Ganderbal Assembly segment, considered a family bastion that was represented by his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah, father Farooq Abdullah and himself in the past. Having lost the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Baramulla constituency, the former chief minister is leaving nothing to chance and has filed his nomination from both Ganderbal and Budgam seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. The importance that Abdullah is according to his re-election from Ganderbal, which he represented during his tenure as chief minister, can be gauged from the fact that made a emotional appeal from the people when he filed his nomination. Addressing a workers' meeting at the party office in Ganderbal, the NC vice president took off his cap and held it in his palms urging people to vote for him as his "honour lay in their hands". The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister's sons, Zahir and Zam

J-K polls: Apni Party issues notice to leader for supporting Omar Abdullah

The Apni Party on Saturday ordered its chief spokesperson Muntazir Mohiuddin to show cause after he announced support for National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah in the Budgam assembly segment. Mohiuddin has been asked to clarify his remarks before the party leadership within 48 hours, "failing which disciplinary action will be taken". "The Apni Party issued a show cause notice to its chief spokesperson Muntazir Mohiuddin for his purported remarks supporting Omar Abdullah," it said in a statement. Mohiuddin has announced his support for Abdullah, who is contesting the assembly polls from Budgam. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister is also contesting from the Ganderbal seat. Mohiuddin on Friday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been stripped of their rights and added that it was crucial to elect a leader who could fight for their interests. He had earlier withdrawn his nomination from the Budgam constituency. "After consulting with friends and well-wishers

J&K Assembly polls: 'Haven't forgotten what happened with J&K on August 5,' says Omar Abdullah

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday expressed hope that voters in Jammu and Kashmir would avoid "fragmentation of their votes", warning that many independent candidates

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls highlights: 59% turnout in first phase, voting peaceful, says CEO

Jammu and Kashmir Phase 1 election updates: Catch all the latest LIVE Assembly election updates here

Mehbooba Mufti has only brought destruction to J&K: Omar Abdullah

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Sunday hit out at People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, saying she has brought nothing but destruction to Jammu and Kashmir. On Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's announcement of resignation, the NC leader said it remains to be seen what will be his next steps. "Mehbooba Mufti has brought nothing but destruction to Jammu and Kashmir. If anyone has played the biggest role in bringing BJP (in J&K) then it is PDP and its leadership," Abdullah told reporters in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Referring to the violent street protests after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016 that left over 90 civilians dead, Abdullah said Mufti should give an account of 2016 before pointing fingers at him. "She talked about milk and toffee...she has not yet apologised for that. She has not yet apologised for bringing the BJP here. She has not apologised for pushing Jammu and Kashmir towards this ...

Focus on deteriorating security condition in J&K: Omar to PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should focus on the "deteriorating" security situation in Jammu and Kashmir instead of raising the bogey of dynastic politics, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said on Saturday. Addressing an election rally in the Doda district in support of BJP candidates earlier in the day, Modi said political dynasties in Jammu and Kashmir have destroyed the region and not allowed new leadership to grow. Hitting back at Modi, the NC leader said the BJP has no qualms in forming alliances with these parties and questioned the prime minister's silence over the death of two army soldiers in an encounter in Kishtawar. "The PM made a speech in Doda... It has not been 24 hours since the attack (in Kishtwar) in which two brave army soldiers lost their lives while an encounter is going on in north Kashmir "He talks about dynasties to mislead people. He should have talked about the present situation," Abdullah told reporters in south Kashmir's Kulgam district.

J&K elections: Omar, Karra, Raina among 239 candidates in fray for phase 2

A total of 239 candidates are in the fray from the 26 constituencies going to polls in the second phase of the three-phase Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections as 27 nominations were withdrawn on Monday. Monday was the last day of the withdrawal of nomination papers for the second phase covering assembly segments spread across central Kashmir districts of Budgam, Srinagar and Ganderbal, and Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu region. Prominent among those in the fray for these seats are National Conference leader Omar Abdullah who is contesting from two seats, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Tariq Hamid Karra, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina and jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati. According to a statement issued by the office of chief electoral officer, J&K, 27 candidates withdrew their candidature in the office of respective returning officers across six districts, leaving 239 candidates in the poll fray. The highest nine candidates ...

Watch: Omar Abdullah makes emotional appeal to voters to elect him, removes cap

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah made a passionate appeal to the people of Ganderbal to vote for him, saying his "honour" is now in their hands.

Omar Abdullah accuses BJP-led govt of fielding independents to silence him

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday claimed that the BJP-ruled Centre was fielding independent candidates against him in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections in a bid to silence him. "I always knew that Delhi would want to silence me in some way but I never thought that they would go to this extent. In Baramulla (Lok sabha elections), when a person (Sheikh Abdul Rashid) stood against me in the polls, having filed the papers while in jail, he recorded his message from jail and sought votes based on emotions. He defeated me in the elections," he said. "I did not see it as something worrisome," Abdullah told election rallies in the Ganderbal Assembly segment from where is contesting the polls. The former chief minister said after the results of Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, he thought luck was on Rashid's side and "it was my bad luck". "But when I decided to contest (assembly) polls from Ganderbal, reports started pouring in that another citizen (Sarjan Ahm

INDIA bloc will ensure restoration of statehood in J-K, says Rahul Gandhi

J&K Assembly elections 2024: Rahul Gandhi said if the Congress party is elected, the INDIA bloc will ensure the restoration of statehood to J-K

IC814 row: Netflix India revises disclaimer to show real names of hijackers

Disclaimer for 'IC814: The Kandahar Hijack' was revised after the vice president of content at Netflix India met the information and broadcasting secretary

NC to prioritise lifting of Afspa if voted to power in J&K: Omar Abdullah

The National Conference will prioritise the lifting of AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir and put an end to the "unjust harassment faced by Kashmiri youth" if it is voted to power, party vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Saturday. Abdullah had pitched for the revocation of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in 2012 when he was chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state. He had even announced that AFSPA would be revoked during his tenure but the proposal faced strong opposition from the Army. "The party (National Conference) reiterates its unwavering dedication to fulfilling the promises outlined in our manifesto. Once in power, the National Conference-led government will prioritise the lifting of AFSPA, putting an end to the unjust harassment faced by our youth," Abdullah said as he welcomed prominent political activists into the party. The National Conference leader said his party was committed to streamlining the passport verification process, .

J&K polls: Omar Abdullah to contest elections from Ganderbal constituency

Omar represented Ganderbal from 2009 to 2014 when he was the chief minister (CM) of the NC-Congress coalition government

Seat-sharing with Congress to take on BJP as consolidated front: Omar

National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress was done with the aim of taking on the BJP as a consolidated front, and form a government which will try to address problems of the people. A day after the National Conference and the Congress agreed to contest 51 and 32 seats respectively for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, NC president Farooq Abdullah said in a coalition, the constituents have to accommodate each other. "In a coalition, one has to bear several things. You have to leave some (seats) to gain some (seats). We believe that the final decision taken by the coalition was a very good one. God willing, the coalition will be successful and will form the government here which will try to address the problems faced by the people," he told reporters in Awantipora area of Pulwama district. "If our objectives are good, we will succeed," the senior Abdullah, who was accompanying National Conference

Don't field candidates against NC-Cong in J&K polls: Omar Abdullah to PDP

NC vice president Omar Abdullah on Sunday claimed the PDP has copied his party's manifesto and asked the Mehbooba Mufti-led party to not field candidates against NC-Congress nominees for the betterment of Jammu and Kashmir as their agenda is the same. Abdullah's remarks came a day after Mehbooba said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would extend complete support to the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance and leave all seats in the elections for the coalition if it accepts her party's agenda. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was addressing NC workers in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, where activist Sayim Mustafa joined the party. Abdullah said the NC has prepared an extensive manifesto for the assembly polls which has been copied by other parties. "We have not left out anything in the manifesto. Today, everyone has copied our manifesto. They should have kept some differences," he said, referring to the PDP's manifesto which was released by Mehbooba on ...

J&K Assembly elections: Omar Abdullah says 'consenus reached on most seats'

The former Chief Minister was addressing the media, discussing the upcoming alliance with the Congress and the details of the seat distribution

J&K polls: Cong, NC join hands; Rahul Gandhi vows to fight for statehood

There is still no clarity whether the Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP) will be part of the Congress-NC alliance

Delhi court seeks NIA's response on Engineer Rashid's bail application

A Delhi court has sought the National Investigation Agency's response on an application filed by jailed Kashmiri parliamentarian Rashid Engineer seeking regular bail. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, was arrested in a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. He defeated former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in Baramulla in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Additional sessions judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh issued notice to the NIA on August 20 and directed it to file its response by August 28. The court had earlier granted Rashid custody parole to take the oath of office on July 5. Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged terror funding case. He is at present lodged in Tihar jail. The former MLA's name cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and ..

J-K elections: Omar Abdullah releases National Conference manifesto today

The National Conference will release on Monday its manifesto for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The document will be released during a press meet by party vice-president Omar Abdullah in the presence of senior leaders, including members of its manifesto committee. The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. The National Conference had formed a committee led by former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister and senior leader Abdul Rahim Rather to draft the manifesto. The committee also included other senior leaders, including the party's Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi. The party had sought suggestions from the people for the manifesto, saying their submissions would be discussed and incorporated in the final document. Mehdi had said the biggest issues for the party were the political and constitutional statuses of Jammu and Kashmir and the ...

Will approach SC if Centre fails to restore J&K's statehood: Omar Abdullah

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday said his party would approach the Supreme Court if the Centre fails to restore the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. "The reality is that we have a fight on our hands to get our powers back and we have no doubt that we will succeed. At the very least, in the first instance we will get a statehood back for J-K," Abdullah told reporters here. "Within the state all the powers that are required to fulfil these promises, are with the government of J-K. And we will fulfil the promises," he added. Abdullah was interacting with the media after releasing the party's manifesto. The National Conference (NC) leader said if the Centre is not willing to restore the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir then his party would approach the apex court. "We only have to go as far to remind the Supreme Court that the government of India has promised the SC that statehood will be restored to J-K. In the unlikely event that the GoI is not willing to do i