Lagatar24 Desk
Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to contest from the Ganderbal constituency in the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Ganderbal, a traditional bastion for the National Conference (NC), has seen three generations of the Abdullah family representing it in the state legislature.
The Ganderbal constituency holds significant historical value for the National Conference. It was first won by NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1977. His son, Farooq Abdullah, carried on the legacy by securing victories in the constituency in 1983, 1987, and 1996. Omar Abdullah, the third-generation leader, was later elected from Ganderbal in 2008.
In the 2014 elections, the Ganderbal seat was won by Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar, who ran on a National Conference ticket after unsuccessfully contesting earlier elections on a Congress ticket.
Omar Abdullah had previously expressed his discontent with the downgrading of Jammu and Kashmir to a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370. On July 27, 2020, he announced that he would not participate in assembly elections until full statehood was restored to Jammu and Kashmir. However, his stance changed after the Election Commission of India released the poll schedule for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on August 16.
The National Conference included Omar Abdullah’s name in the second list of 32 candidates released on Tuesday. The announcement follows the finalization of a seat-sharing agreement between the National Conference and Congress for all 90 assembly seats. The National Conference will contest 51 seats, while Congress will vie for 32, with a friendly contest expected on five seats. Two additional seats have been reserved for allies, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the National Panthers Party.
The alliance between the National Conference and Congress was officially announced by Farooq Abdullah following discussions with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his Gupkar residence.
Congress leader KC Venugopal emphasized the alliance’s primary objective is to safeguard the identity and integrity of Jammu and Kashmir. “While the BJP is attempting to erode the soul of Jammu and Kashmir, the INDIA bloc is committed to preserving it. We stand united to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
