After the declaration of the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, political experts were giving sermons that Omar Abdullah was incapable of leading the National Conference as he himself lost elections from the north Kashmir's Baramulla Parliamentary segment.
The political experts had reasons to question capability of Omar to lead Jammu and Kashmir's oldest political party in the coming Assembly elections because margin of his defeat was more than two lakhs.
But within three months after getting a crushing defeat Omar Abdullah not only won elections from two Assembly segments but also steered his party National Conference to a historic victory in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah became the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The year 2024 was an eventful period in the political life of Omar Abdullah from a losser he emerged as victorious by heading the first popular government in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
It was a year that started from the defeat in the Lok Sabha elections to the heights of victory in Assembly polls for the National Conference vice president, who had earlier announced not to contest Assembly polls unless restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir.
Political journey in 2024 started with a defeat
Omar Abdullah witnessed ups and downs in the year 2024 as he started his political journey with a defeat in the Lok Sabha elections from north Kashmir's Baramulla Parliamentary constituency. In a political gamble, Omar Abdullah decided to contest the Lok Sabha election from north Kashmir's Baramulla seat but he was defeated by jailed leader Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, who contested the election as an Independent candidate defeated Omar Abdullah by a margin of 2.04 lakh votes.
Engineer Rashid secured 4,72,481 votes while Omar Abdullah managed to get 2, 68, 339 votes.
Omar Abdullah himself admitted that defeat from the Baramulla seat was a setback for him and many questions were raised over his political career and his ability to lead his party in the upcoming Assembly elections in the Union Territory.
Surprising comeback in three months
Undeterred by defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Omar Abdullah took it a challenge to campaign for his party in the upcoming Assembly elections.
With the announcement of Assembly elections on August 16, 2024, Omar Abdullah started an aggressive campaign for the National Conference.
Although Omar Abdullah had earlier announced not to contest Assembly elections in the Union Territory, he decided to join the electoral battle to boost the morale of his party candidates and workers.
The decision seemed risky to many, but it became a testimony to his political astuteness.
Omar Abdullah launched the election campaign with new energy and focus. He promised stability, development, and effective representation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on local issues.
The results of the Assembly elections were surprising and encouraging for Omar Abdullah contested two Assembly seats and won comfortably on both of the seats.
Omar Abdullah won the Ganderbal Assembly segment by a margin of 10574 votes by defeating Peoples Democratic Party's candidate Bashir Ahmed Dar and the Budgam seat by defeating Peoples Democratic Party candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by a margin of 18485 votes.
Formation of the first popular government in Jammu and Kashmir
Omar Abdullah created history by winning Assembly elections for his party, the National Conference. Out of a total 90 Assembly seats, the National Conference emerged as a single largest party by winning 42 seats. With the support of six Independent MLA, Omar Abdullah managed to secure a majority in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and became first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Omar Abdullah-led regime became the first popular government after the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory.
Through his political ability and power to connect with the people, Omar Abdullah took his party back to power.
Future challenges
Although the year 2024 was a symbol of victory for Omar Abdullah, the challenges before him are not less. The new government faces many complex issues such as unemployment, development and restoring public faith in the democratic process. Apart from this, running a coalition government with independent MLAs also requires political acumen and consensus building.
Nevertheless, 2024 will be considered a defining chapter in Omar Abdullah's political career, in which he silenced critics and scripted one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Indian politics. As Jammu and Kashmir looks to the future, Omar Abdullah's triumph and resurrection in 2024 will be remembered as an important chapter in the region's political history.
