Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Polls 2024: Carrying on family legacy: Omar Abdullah set to become next J&K CM

Srinagar: Defying most exit polls predicting a hung assembly, the National Conference (NC), led by Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday emerged victorious in the J&K Assembly elections, securing 42 out of 90 seats. NC’s president, Farooq Abdullah also declared that his son Omar would assume the chief ministerial position.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) became the second largest party with 29 seats, while the Congress and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) suffered major defeats, winning only six and three seats respectively.

After losing the Baramulla Lok Sabha to Sheikh Abdul Rashid (Engineer Rashid) just four months ago by over two lakh votes, Omar won from both Ganderbal and Budgam assembly seats. 

Celebrating his party’s triumph, 54-year-old Omar noted that those who had once tried to undermine the NC were “no longer relevant”. He emphasized that the party’s focus over the next five years would be on proving worthy of the public’s trust.

The NC’s sweeping victory extended through Kashmir, Doda-Kishtwar (Chenab Valley), and Rajouri-Poonch (Pir Panjal) in Jammu, reinforcing its dominance in its traditional strongholds.

The BJP, meanwhile, made gains in the Jammu plains, largely due to its organisational efforts and targeted campaigning led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It secured 45.4% of the vote share in the Jammu region. However, BJP’s J&K unit president, Ravinder Raina, lost his Nowshera seat to NC’s Surinder Choudhary.

The Congress, which contested in alliance with the NC, was nearly wiped out in Jammu, winning just one seat there, with its remaining five seats coming from the Kashmir Valley.

NC’s arch rival PDP, led by Mehbooba Mufti, faced a significant setback, securing only three seats. Mehbooba’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, lost her first election to NC’s Bashir Veeri from family bastion Srigufwara-Bijbeheara seat in Anantnag.

Haryana Assembly poll 2024 results| Check constituency results here

J&K Assembly poll 2024 results| Check constituency results here

Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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