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Omar Abdullah, the Vice President of the National Conference (NC), has announced his candidacy for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Assembly elections. He filed his nomination papers for the Ganderbal Assembly seat on September 4, 2024, marking his return to the constituency he previously represented from 2009 to 2014 during his tenure as Chief Minister of the NC-Congress coalition government in the erstwhile State of J&K.
The decision to contest the election comes after Abdullah initially vowed not to participate in the polls following the Centre's stripping of J&K's special status and its bifurcation into two Union Territories in August 2019. However, he later reversed his stance, explaining that it would be incongruous to ask his party colleagues and supporters to vote for an assembly that he himself refused to participate in. He stated that this would send a 'wrong signal' to the people of J&K.
Abdullah's return to the political scene is a significant development in the upcoming elections. The Ganderbal constituency has traditionally been a stronghold of the NC, with both the party's founder, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, and its incumbent president, Farooq Abdullah, having represented the constituency on multiple occasions. Abdullah's decision to contest the elections is expected to energize his party's campaign and attract a large number of supporters.
The upcoming assembly elections in J&K are scheduled to be held in three phases: September 18, 25, and October 1. The elections are being closely watched as they will determine the future of the region, which has been in a state of political flux since the revocation of its special status. The results of the elections will have a significant impact on the political landscape of J&K and the relationship between the region and the central government.
Source: J&K polls: Omar Abdullah files nomination papers from Ganderbal