Jammu and Kashmir: Once reluctant, Omar Abdullah is now fighting from two seats in J-K assembly elections

National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah had once said that he won’t contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls until statehood for the Union Territory is restored. Now, the former chief minister has filed nominations from two seats.

Abdullah filed his nominations for the second seat – Budgam – on September 5. He is also contesting elections from family bastion, Ganderbal for which he filed papers a day before. Abdullah had won from the Beerwah Assembly seat, adjoining Budgam, in the 2014 assembly polls in the erstwhile state.

“Contesting two seats is a show of strength of the National Conference. There is a wave in favour of the NC and we hope that on the day that votes are counted, we are successful,” Abdullah said on Thursday.

Jammu and Kashmir is voting for its 90-member assembly in three phases. While the first phase of voting is scheduled on September 18, the other two round will be held on September 25 and October 1.

The votes will be counted on October 8.

'Won't Contest': Omar in August

In early August, Omar had had said he won't contest elections. “I have made it very clear. I have been the CM of a state. I can’t see myself in a position where I would have to ask the LG for appointing my peon. It’s as simple as that… I am not going to sit outside the waiting room of the L-G and, ask him, ‘Sir, please sign the file’, Omar told Indian Express in an interview last month explaining why he is opting out of elections this time.

Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised as Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has promised return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

First Election in a Decade

The election, first in over a decade, is expected to witness a multi-cornered fight for the 90 seats across the erstwhile state. While the National Conference and the Congress are fighting the elections in an alliance, the People's Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) are the two other major players.

Both Budgam and Ganderbal vote in second phase of polling on September 25.

Ganderbal in central Kashmir is a represented by three generations of Abdullah family, including him. His father Farooq Abdullah and grandfather Sheikh Abdullah have also won from the seat before. Omar lost the seat in 2002, but won it in 2008 assembly polls.

Budgam Assembly was earlier won by Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, who is now National Conference Member of Parliament from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

Omar lost the Lok Sabha polls 2024 from Baramulla seat. He was defeated by Engineer Rashid, who is in jail on UAPA charges.

Omar Faces Jailed Cleric

Abdullah faces jailed cleric Sarjan Barkati in the assembly poll contest from Ganderbal seat. Barkati, whose nomination papers from the Zainapora seat in South Kashmir was rejected last week, has filed candidature from  Beerwah and Ganderbal seats.

Barkati, 38, was a prominent face in the protest marches in South Kashmir districts of Shopian and Kulgam after the killing of Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8, 2016.