Kashmir's National Conference Party Re-Elects Farooq Abdullah as President

Last month, surprising the local political class, the former chief of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir resigned from his post on health grounds. He had held the position of party head for over three decades.

The Jammu and Kashmir region's oldest political party, the National Conference (NC), on Monday re-elected Farooq Abdullah as its president.

A party official said that NC delegates from Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh voted unanimously for 85-year-old Abdullah during the party’s delegate session held in Srinagar city.

The session was held to mark the birth anniversary of Abdullah’s father, Sheikh Mohammad, who founded the party and once served as both prime minister and chief of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"I wasn't willing to continue as president, but my people in NC insisted that I cannot leave at this crucial juncture, so I agreed. But I suggest they should prepare the next generation for leading the party in the future,” Abdullah said during a public address held after his re-election.

Abdullah also made a pitch for the upcoming assembly elections, whose dates are yet to be announced.

“We made a mistake by boycotting panchayat elections. But [from] now onwards we won't boycott any election. Omar says that he won't fight elections but I as president of the NC insist that he has to fight the elections and defeat them on ground,” said Farooq Abdullah about his politician son.

He said this while referring to his party’s decision to boycott the 2018 local body polls. The NC and other regional parties boycotted the polls seeking protection of the semi-autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah, in his speech, raised the issue and attacked the federal government over the revocation and subsequent constitutional changes triggered by the 2019 move.

“You see today our officers like Superintendents of Police, secretaries are from outside. Are we so dumb that we cannot handle our affairs?” Abdullah said.

While some regional political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and Democratic Azad Party, congratulated Abdullah on his victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party said his re-election “shows party confined to dynasty politics which has lost ground and faith among people of J&K.”