Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah back in power with NC–Congress win?

Omar Abdullah faced a battle of prestige in the assembly polls for the union territory today. Securing an impressive victory in both Budgam and in Ganderbal — the two seats that he contested — he now the most likely candidate for the chief minister's chair from the National Conference–Congress combine.

If so, he would become the third generation of his family to be returned to the leadership of Jammu and Kashmir.

The former chief minister, who posted from his morning walk in a relaxed mood earlier in the day, defeated his nearest rivals from the PDP by over 10,000 votes and 18,000 votes, respectively.

Abdullah, for one, is in no hurry to switch into the hot seat, though his father — president of the National Conference, Farooq Abdullah — had just about declared the chief ministership in his favour earlier today.

"Let the NC legislative party meet. I am not staking a claim to the chief ministership of Jammu and Kashmir. It is for the alliance and the elected members to decide who they feel should lead the state over the next five years, and that is as far as I am willing to go," Abdullah told reporters outside his residence in Srinagar.

Let the party celebrate its win and colleagues heave a sigh of relief before a meeting of the NC's legislative party takes place, he added. (And indeed, in the allied Congress camp, there is a bustle of mixed feelings and mixed business to contend with, with a Haryana result invoking rank disbelief for many.)

The junior Abdullah said that as grateful as he was for the vote of confidence reposed in him by the NC president, "this is a decision for the legislative party of the NC" and a decision to be taken by the allies together.

"In a couple of days, we will call our legislative party meet where the NC legislative party leader will be elected. Then, we will sit with the alliance to decide who will head it. Then, when we have all the letters of support, we will stake our claim to the LG for government formation," Omar Abdullah added.

Just a few months ago, Abdullah endured a surprise defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Now the Assembly poll, held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, is a redemption of sorts for the National Conference leader.

But then, a Lok Sabha member thrice over (1998, 1999, 2004), he has been known to come back stronger after every electoral defeat.

With NC president Farooq Abdullah easing into retirement, many were of the view that this election would be decisive for Omar Abdullah's political future. Would his de facto captaincy of the NC in recent years bear fruit?

For the better part of the last five years, the 54-year-old former union minister had indeed ruled out standing in the assembly polls until statehood was reinstated for Jammu and Kashmir. Indeed, he went to the extent of stating that he refused to humiliate himself by entering the Vidhan Sabha of a union territory.

However, as the Congress and National Conference alliance was cemented, he was convinced to contest not in just one but two constituencies — Ganderbal, his family's traditional seat, and Budgam. Meanwhile, the Congress promised to do everything possible to return statehood to Jammu & Kashmir once elected.

After the abrogation of Article 370 and reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories (the other being Ladakh), there has been an upsurge in support for the National Conference, with a large chunk of voters throwing their weight behind the oldest political party of the region.

As the NC has emerged as the biggest party in Jammu and Kashmir, it is the senior partner in the alliance with the Congress, and will be in a position to dictate terms when they do sit down to plan the future.

Farooq Abdullah had already announced that Omar would be the next chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the verdict was proof that the people were against the abrogation of Article 370. "The people have given their verdict and proven that the decisions taken on August 5, 2019 are not acceptable to them," he said.

Omar Abdullah won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections after losing Ganderbal in the 2002 assembly elections to a little-known candidate, Qazi Mohammad Afzal.

It was Afzal who as the forest minister would approve the transfer of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board in 2008, sparking massive protests in the valley. On the back of it came Abdullah's career-defining speech in the Lok Sabha.

In the elections held at the end of 2008, he wrested back Ganderbal and the NC emerged as the single largest party in the state. He became chief minister at the age of 38 — one of the youngest in the country — and headed the coalition government with the Congress.

Had the NC vice president lost the assembly poll this time, it would have been the first time since 1996 that no member of the Abdullah family was present in both Parliament and Vidhan Sabha.

However, as he said today, said many attempts were made to destroy his party over the last five years by creating new outfits — all of which have been decimated in this election.

"There were attempts to destroy the NC over the last five years," Omar Abdullah told the media gathered as he received the certificate of victory from the Budgam returning officer. "So many parties were created here, whose only aim was to destroy the NC. But, God's grace has been on us, and those who tried to destroy us have been decimated in the process."

However, he added, "There was no division of votes in Kashmir and the higher reaches of Jammu. I think the people used their vote thoughtfully. It is now the responsibility of the alliance to provide a clean government which comes up to the expectations of the people."

Abdullah added the verdict has increased the party's responsibilities.

"It is our duty now to come up to the expectations of the people through our work, and that is what our endeavour would be for the next five years," he added.

"We have to end unemployment and address issues like inflation and drug menace. Now, there will be no LG and his advisors. Now, there will be 90 MLAs who will work for people," he said.

He also expressed gratitude to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti after she congratulated the NC for the spectacular win.

And just now, has fired an ever-so-polite polite warning volley at prime minister Narendra Modi, who congratulated him on X.

With PTI inputs