'Omar Abdullah Will Be CM', Announces Farooq as NC-Congress Secure Majority in J&K

Srinagar: “Omar Abdullah will be the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir”, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah announced on Tuesday as counting trends showed a clear lead for the Congress -NC alliance in the Valley.  According to the official data by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKN) is leading with 43 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) follows with 28 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) is ahead on 7 seats.

Independent candidates have also made a notable impact, leading on 7 seats. The Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) has managed to secure 2 seats, and the Jammu & Kashmir People Conference (JPC) has bagged 1 seat.

‘Omar Will Be The CM’

“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 the NC supremo while talking to reporters.

J&K Against Abrogation of Article 370

The NC president also said the verdict was proof that the people of J-K 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. 

"I am thankful to everyone that the people participated in the polls and did so freely. I am grateful to God for the results." The former Union minister said the elected government would have do a lot of work to end the "sufferings" of the people.

"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 added. 

It will not be 'police raj' but 'logon ka raj'

“After 10 years the people have given their mandate to us. We pray to Allah that we meet their expectations...It will not be 'police raj' here but 'logon ka raj' here. We will try to bring out the innocent perosns who are jailed. Media will be freedom. We have to develop trust between Hindus and Muslims. I am hopeful that INDIA alliance partners will fight with us to restore statehood here...I understand Omar Abdullah will become the CM”, the National Conference (NC) president told reporters.

When asked to comment on Congress ' performance in Haryana , Abdullah senior said, “I am sad that they ( Congress ) have not won (in Haryana )...I think it happened due to their internal disputes.”

Omar Abdullah Wins Budgam Assembly Seat

Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah won the Budgam assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir, defeating the PDP's Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by a margin of more than 18,000 votes.  Abdullah, who is also leading from the family bastion of Ganderbal, secured 36,010 votes in Budgam, while Mehdi got 17,525 votes.

The NC vice president had contested the 2014 elections also from two seats, Sonwar in Srinagar and Beerwah in Budgam district. He had won the Beerwah seat.

Abdullah had lost the 2024 Parliamentary polls from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in north Kashmir.

He was defeated by independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid who was then lodged in the Tihar Jail under terror-funding charges. Rashid is currently out on bail.