Omar Abdullah is set to be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) – for the second time.
A third-generation politician from the politically influential Abdullah family, he will become the first chief minister of the J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and since it was declared a Union Territory.
His party, the National Conference, won a historic mandate in the 2024 Assembly elections, which were held after a decade.
However, helming J&K is not something new for him as he became the erstwhile state’s youngest chief minister in 2009.
Born in the UK in 1970, Abdullah remains greatly influenced by his Western education and upbringing. He received his education at Sydenham College, Mumbai, and later attended the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, where he studied business administration.
His upbringing overwhelmingly dictated by his British lifestyle, Abdullah is a dedicated and disciplined politician with a healthy lifestyle.
He is a soft-spoken, humble man.
His passion for politics is well documented, and with his impressive oratory and personal charm he has built a loyal, dedicated fan base – especially of young people.
They admire him for his firm stand on several issues like Article 370, 35A, and statehood.
Abdullah’s words resonate well with the overall population in the Valley; he is massively popular with the women who are all praise for his leadership style and have have decisively voted for his party.
NC made an impressive comeback with its victory in the 2024 Assembly elections ; in 2014, the party secured just 15 seats, well behind Congress, which got 17 seats. At the time, people who knew J&K politics sensed that it was the beginning the NC’s decline in J&K.
However, post-2019 experts observed Omar becoming a populist leader, shunning his image of a politically influential man from the powerful Abdullah family.
Here’s a timeline of his re-emergence as a leader worth reckoning in the restive region
1998: Abdullah began his political career at the age of 28 by winning the Lal Chowk constituency in J&K and becoming the youngest elected Member of the Lok Sabha.
1999: Elected again to the Lok Sabha and a Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry with Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government.
2001: He was inducted as the Minister of State for External Affairs, Union Council. A year and a half later, he resigned from Parliament to fight state elections in J&K.
2002: His constituency of Ganderbal voted against him and he lost this family stronghold when the Peoples Democratic Party began its winning spree.
2004: He was elected to the Lok Sabha—a badge that began to again strengthen his political hold, despite initial reverses.
2008: When he made that emotional speech on the confidence motion on the Indo-US nuclear deal in Parliament, saying "I am a Muslim, I am an Indian, and I see no difference between the two," it defined not just the politics but also the politician.
2009: He was sworn in as the Chief Minister of J&K at the age of 38 years, which made him one of the youngest CMs in the country.
2014: Abdullah had won the Beerwah Assembly seat, but his party, NC, lost the election, and thus, PDP-BJP combined to form the government.
2019: He was detained under house arrest when Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was abrogated along with other political leaders in the state.
2020: He was released from detention after seven months. Subsequently, his party, which formed an alliance with others under the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), won the District Development Council (DDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
2024: Although Omar Abdullah initially opposed the plan of contesting the Assembly polls from Ganderbal and Budgam, he changed his mind and contested from those seats. In all, the NC-Congress alliance secured 49 seats, and Omar's father, Farooq Abdullah, claimed his son would be again made Chief Minister.
His personal life has had its ups and downs too. In 1994, Abdullah married Payal Nath, daughter of an Army officer. They have two sons, Zahir and Zamir.
However, the marriage did not work out and they were separated in the year 2011.
The couple has yet to be officially divorced.
Zahir and Amir lead a relatively private life. Currently, Zahir is studying in the UK.
Zamir is also studying abroad, though not much information is available about his future plans or aspirations.
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