VOLLEY FROM THE VALLEY
THE WEEK India|October 20, 2024
The Abdullahs return to power after 16 years, but Omar will have to walk the tightrope
TARIQ BHAT
VOLLEY FROM THE VALLEY

AS THE MORNING light filtered through the windows of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah’s residence on Srinagar’s Gupkar Road on October 8, his son Omar Abdullah was already awake, anxiously awaiting the results of the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade. Omar debated whether to go for a run, recalling how his last election day (the Lok Sabha polls) run had ended in a loss. “I thought if I ran and lost again, I would never run again,” he mused. “But I went for a run to break the jinx, and I still won, so I will keep running whenever I have to.”

By 2 pm, it was clear that the National Conference was heading for a sweeping victory in Kashmir, while the BJP maintained its stronghold in Jammu. Jubilant National Conference supporters took to the streets, waving red party flags with the iconic white plough and chanting slogans.

At the Abdullah residence, the gates swung open, and a flood of supporters and reporters entered. As Farooq and Omar stepped out of their home at the foot of the Shankaracharya mountain, they were met with a jubilant crowd. Farooq, visibly moved, thanked his supporters, declaring the victory “a new chapter for Jammu and Kashmir”.

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