Lion in winter
THE WEEK India|January 01, 2023
Faroog Abdullah in the forefront of regional parties as J&K prepares for assembly elections
TARIQ BHAT
Lion in winter

ON DECEMBER 5, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah was reelected unopposed as president of the National Conference for the fourth time. The election was held at the lakeside mausoleum of his father, the party’s founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, at Hazratbal in Srinagar, on his 117th birthday. Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said Abdullah, 85, was the unanimous choice of the delegates.

The party had announced a fortnight earlier that Abdullah would not stand for election. He has been its president since 1981, except during 2002-09 when his son, Omar, held the post. Abdullah, however, opted for yet another term, possibly to stop the BJP, which is going all out to win the upcoming assembly elections.

Abdullah's reelection is expected to rejuvenate National Conference supporters, who see the BJP as their biggest challenge. He is also the president of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, which seeks the restoration of Article 370 of the Constitution and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Gupkar Alliance members like the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference are likely to join hands with the Congress and the Democratic Azad Party of former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to keep the BJP at bay, although they will not be fighting the elections together. Azad and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP have hailed Abdullah's reelection.

This story is from the January 01, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 01, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView All
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 mins  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 mins  |
November 17, 2024