NC leaders urge Omar Abdullah to contest upcoming J&K assembly polls

Senior National Conference (NC) leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah is under growing pressure from his party leaders to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT).

Ever since the union government scrapped the special status of J&K on Aug 5, 2019, Omar has consistently stated that he will not contest elections in the UT till the statehood is restored. The former chief minister in an interview with Indian Express recently emphasised again that he would not contest the upcoming elections.

“I have made it very clear that I am not contesting elections,” Omar said.

“I have been the CM of once the most empowered state. I can’t see myself in a position where I must ask the LG to appoint my peon. It’s as simple as that … I am not going to sit outside the waiting room of the LG and, ask him, ‘Sir, please sign the file’,” he added.

But with assembly elections in UT just a month away, there is growing pressure on Omar from his father Farooq Abdullah, and other senior party leaders to contest the upcoming elections.

“The entire NC leadership has requested Omar Abdullah to contest elections. According to The Hindu, " it’s the party’s parliamentary board that will decide on the Chief Ministerial candidate for the coming Assembly elections,” said Ajay Sadhotra, senior NC leader.

The former chief minister and a three-time Lok Sabha MP told reporters in Srinagar on Aug 16 that he would take a call after discussions with his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah and party colleagues.

“I still believe I don’t want to contest the polls. But the fact is that there is a lot of pressure from within the party on me to contest elections. What is cause of concern for me is that my father is getting older and is not always in good health,” Omar said.

“My father told me that if I don’t fight elections, he will have to, which concerns me. I will sit together with my colleagues and come to a decision in a few days,” Omar said.

The former chief minister lost the parliamentary election recently from Baramulla to Independent candidate Engineer Rashid. He has represented the Assembly constituencies of Ganderbal (2008-2014) — though he lost the seat, which his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and father represented, in the 2002 election.