New Delhi, Oct 8: National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah will become the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said his father and NC chief Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday.
“Omar Abdullah will be the chief minister,” Farooq Abdullah told reporters here when asked who would be the alliance’s CM face. “People have given their mandate. They have proven that they don’t accept the decision that was taken on August 5… Omar Abdullah will be the chief minister,” said senior Abdullah.
Omar Abdullah won the Budgam and Ganderbal Assembly seats in Kashmir by big margins. He defeated PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi in Badgam with a margin of more than 18,485 votes.
The NC vice president polled 36,010 votes in Budgam, one of the two constituencies he contested in the Jammu and Kashmir elections this time. In Ganderbal, he defeated PDP candidate Bashir Ahmad Mir by a margin of 10,574 votes. Omar Abdullah polled 32,727 votes in this constituency.
With this win, Omar Abdullah has reclaimed his electoral weight in the UT, especially in the valley. He lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla which was won by Engineer Rashid. Farooq Abdullah made the announcement about his son soon after it became clear that the Congress-NC alliance would win the first Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 10 years.
“After 10 years, the people have given their mandate to us. We pray to Allah that we meet their expectations,” the Lok Sabha member said. He further said it would not be a “police raj here but public rule here”.
“We will try to release the innocent from jail. Media will be free. We have to develop trust between Hindus and Muslims,” Farooq Abdullah told media. Earlier in the day, Omar Abdullah posted on his X handle. “Counting day 7K done. Last time around it didn’t end well for me personally. InshaAllah this time around it will be better.”
IANS