Ganderbal Election Results: NC's Omar Abdullah fights for legacy in family bastion

The NC leader has defeated has PDP rival by a decent margin of 10,574 votes

The National Conference leader is leading his nearest rival, Bashir Mir of PDP, by a margin of 5066 votes. He is also contesting from the Budgam constituency. He is leading from both his seats.

The National Conference leader is ahead by a margin of 4565 votes.

"Counting day 7K done. Last time around it didn’t end well for me personally. InshaAllah this time around it will be better," the NC vice president said.

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah is ahead of his nearest rival, PDP's Bashir Mir, by a margin of 2,281 votes

The National Conference leader is ahead of PDP's Bashir Mir by a margin of 1,479 votes

Before the elections were announced, Omar Abdullah had ruled out his participation, saying that he would not "enter the assembly of a Union Territory". Omar said that he will not contest the elections in J&K until its statehood is restored by the Centre. However, he later reconsidered his decision after a fervent appeal from party workers and due to his father's old age and ill health.

The National Conference vice president said that he is hopeful of a victory in the UT. " ... rest is on God. Whatever the voters of J&K have decided will be clear by afternoon... If the mandate is against the BJP, it should not resort to gambling."

What makes the electoral battle all the more interesting is the entry of jailed cleric Sarjan Wagay, popularly known as Sarjan Barkati, and Sheikh Ashiq, the candidate of Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party, in the fray.

The National Conference leader is ahead of his rivals in Ganderbal, as per early trends based on postal ballot counting

Notably, Mir is known as a hero for the local populace of the Ganderbal district. He has rescued several people from the Sindh river and has helped the police in such rescue operations multiple times.

The counting has begun for the Ganderbal assembly constituency, first leads should be out soon

In an early morning post on X, the National Conference leader said: "Here’s wishing all my colleagues and allies the very best of luck for today." He added that everyone fought the "good fight" and hoped that the results of J&K assembly election results reflect that.

In 2023, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar was expelled from NC for six years due to his involvement in anti-party activities, which included publicly criticising party leadership and decisions. His actions were seen as undermining the party's efforts. The party leadership had emphasised the need to maintain unity and discipline within the ranks, prompting this decisive action against Jabbar.

The entry of PDP candidate Bashir Mir added a new dynamic to the Ganderbal race. Known for his local heroics, Mir’s presence is hoping to galvanize the PDP’s support base, creating a tough contest for Omar. Moreover, ex-NC member Ishfaq Jabbar is running as an independent, using his campaign to highlight Omar’s past decisions, particularly regarding the constituency’s leadership. His presence could further queer the pitch.

Looking for a much-needed victory, Omar made an emotive appeal to the voters of Ganderbal during campaigning. The NC vice president took off his cap and held it in his palms urging people to vote for him as his "honour lay in their hands". His father Farooq Abdullah as well as sons Zahir and Zamir also campaigned for him.

The National Conference has traditionally dominated the elections in Ganderbal, which is located in central Kashmir. Except in the 2002 elections, when the PDP candidate won the seat, NC has won the elections here since 1977. The seat was held by Omar's grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and is father Farooq Abdaullah. In 2014, NC's Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh won the elections from the seat.

The National Conference vice president is on a quest to reclaim the Ganderbal Assembly seat, which is considered his family bastion. He is also contesting from Budgam constituency. The election holds significance for the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, who suffered an embarrassing defeat from the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency at the hands of Engineer Rashid.