National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah secured a victory in the Ganderbal constituency during the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election, defeating People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Bashir Ahmad Mir by over 10,000 votes. Ganderbal has long been a stronghold of the National Conference, and this win further cements the party’s influence in the area.
According to the Election Commission, Omar Abdullah received 32,727 votes, winning by a margin of 10,574 votes over Mir, who garnered 22,153 votes. Abdullah had previously won the Ganderbal seat in 2008 and subsequently became the chief minister of the then-state of Jammu and Kashmir. Former MLA from Ganderbal, Ishfaq Jabbar, finished third with 6,060 votes.
Ganderbal assembly constituency in the Srinagar area of Jammu and Kashmir is undoubtedly the most interesting seat in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections 2024. It was a high thrill not just because the Valley saw elections happening after a long span of ten years but also for the variety of candidates who stood against Omar Abdullah.
Notably this seat has been the citadel of the National Conference (JKNC). The party grabbed this constituency a total of seven times from the first assembly elections in 1962 to the last election in 2014. But this match was a little different. This time the National Conference had to face the contestant the party itself roped in in 2014 – Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh. It was NC versus ex-NC in the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
The other strong candidate was Sarjan Ahmad alias Sarjan Barkati alias Azaadi Chacha who is a cleric and has a stronghold in the territory especially amongst the youth. Barkati is known for his provocative speeches and came to light after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani.
It was nothing sort of a cakewalk for Omar Abdullah after what happened in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Baramulla where he lost to Engineer Rashid by a margin of more than two lakh votes. Omar, while campaigning for assembly elections, had held his cap in his hands to seek votes. He said to the voters of the Ganderbal constituency – My honour is in your hands.
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