J&K polls: Omar Abdullah files nomination papers from Ganderbal

Omar Abdullah files nomination papers for Ganderbal Assembly seat, marking his return to the constituency after 2014.

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) filed nomination papers from the Ganderbal Assembly seat.

Mr. Abdullah, accompanied by senior leaders of the party and his sons, filed the papers before the returning officer at the Mini-Secretariat.

He reached the Mini-Secretariat sitting atop a vehicle, surrounded by a huge number of enthusiastic supporters.

This marks the return of the NC leader to the constituency that he represented from 2009 to 2014 when he was the Chief Minister of the NC-Congress coalition government in the erstwhile State of J&K.

He fought and won the 2014 assembly polls from the Beerwah Assembly seat in central Kashmir's Budgam district. Mr. Abdullah had also contested from Sonwar seat in Srinagar but was defeated there by then PDP leader Mohammad Ashraf Mir.

Ganderbal has been bastion of the NC and the Abdullahs with NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and incumbent president Farooq Abdullah having represented the constituency several times.

After the Centre stripped J&K of its special status and bifurcated J&K into two union territories in August 2019, Abdullah had vowed to not fight for a seat in the legislature of a Union Territory.