Omar Abdullah Defends Father’s Choice to Skip Budgam, Rajya Sabha Polls

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) patron and a linchpin of Jammu and Kashmir politics, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has chosen to step away from the electoral fray, opting out of both the upcoming Budgam assembly bypoll and the Rajya Sabha elections, his son and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced on Monday.  

The decision, described as deeply personal by Omar, marks a significant moment for the NC as it navigates a high-stakes political season without its iconic leader on the ballot.  

Addressing speculation that Farooq Abdullah, was sidelined by the party, Omar was unequivocal, "Who says Dr Farooq was not given the mandate? He himself decided to step back. Does anyone have the courage to say he wanted to contest and was stopped by the party?” Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, he clarified that Farooq’s reluctance extended even to the bi-poll contest.   

“If someone is not willing to contest a Rajya Sabha seat, they will not take on the strain of an upcoming bi-poll campaign,” Omar said.  

Omar hailed Farooq as the “tallest leader of J&K” and the NC’s “guiding light,” assuring that his father’s strategic oversight would remain pivotal despite his absence from the campaign trail.  

The announcement coincided with the NC’s filing of nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, where the party fielded three candidates, former ministers Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan and Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, alongside treasurer Shammi Oberoi.  

NC’s solo run for all four seats follows a fallout with Congress, which withdrew from a planned seat-sharing arrangement.  

“We had kept one seat for Congress. They decided not to field a candidate. We believed Congress had the best chance to win that fourth seat, but they felt otherwise," Omar said.   

He said the upcoming polls as a litmus test for political loyalties, "The upcoming Rajya Sabha election will clearly reveal which political parties and legislators stand with the BJP and who are genuinely in the opposition,".  

The 90-member J&K legislative assembly serves as the electoral college, with the NC’s 42 seats, Congress’s six, and the People’s Democratic Party’s three, likely to secure at least three seats under the proportional representation system.   

BJP, with 28 seats, falls short of the 30 votes needed for a fourth, prompting Omar to challenge their claims. 

"BJP cannot win even one seat without horse trading. They need 30 votes to win the fourth seat, and they have only 28. No MLA outside those 28 has supported them in the last year," he said, warning that any abstentions or cross-votes would expose "who the BJP’s real friends are,".  

Omar further alleged that any BJP success would rely on “money power, muscle power, and agencies,” taking a jab, “If they want to win by buying or threatening MLAs, then they will prove what people are saying in Bihar is right,".  

BJP, meanwhile, filed nominations for three seats that include Ghulam Mohammad Mir, Rakesh Mahajan, and incumbent J&K unit chief Sat Paul Sharma.  

On the Budgam bypoll, set for November 11 with results on November 14, Omar struck a cautious note, “No election is straightforward. NC will put its best foot forward in Budgam, and we will rely on the wisdom of the voters,".  

Bypoll, triggered by Omar retaining his Ganderbal seat after winning both constituencies in 2024, will test the NC’s grip on a stronghold where he secured an 18,485-vote margin last year.   

While the party has yet to name its candidate, Farooq’s absence from the race hints at his shift to a mentorship role.  

"As J&K braces for the Rajya Sabha polls and the bi-polls contest, the NC faces the dual challenge of consolidating its alliance and countering the BJP’s ambitions.   

"With Farooq Abdullah guiding from the sidelines, Omar’s leadership will be under scrutiny as the party aims to cement its dominance in the J&K's evolving political theatre," said Editor-in-Chief Daily Uqaab Manzoor Anjum. 

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