CM Omar Abdullah vacates Budgam Assembly seat, retains family bastion Ganderbal

Jammu and Kashmir news: In a significant political move, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has vacated the Budgam assembly seat while retaining the Ganderbal constituency, as announced by Pro-tem Speaker Mubarak Gul in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday.

CM Omar Abdullah successfully secured both seats – Ganderbal and Budgam – in the recent assembly elections, but his choice to keep Ganderbal underscores its importance to his political legacy.

CM Abdullah had defeated Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP)'s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi to win the Budgam Assembly Seat in the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections.

A Stronghold for the Abdullah Family

The Ganderbal seat has long been regarded as a stronghold for the Abdullah family. Omar Abdullah previously served as an MLA for Ganderbal from 2009 to 2014 during his first tenure as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah keeps Ganderbal assembly seat and resigns from Budgam seat,” Mubarak Gul stated in the assembly, confirming the change.

Impact on National Conference's Strength in J-K Assembly

With Omar Abdullah’s resignation from Budgam, the strength of the National Conference in the 95-member assembly has now been reduced to 41 seats. However, the party still maintains a comfortable majority, bolstered by the support of six Congress MLAs, five Independents, and one MLA each from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

As Omar Abdullah navigates his role in the assembly, his focus remains on addressing the needs and concerns of his constituents, particularly in Ganderbal, as he embarks on this new chapter in his political career.

Jammu and Kashmir MLAs administered oath

During his first tenure as Chief Minister from 2009 to 2014, Omar Abdullah took lessons to improve his speaking skills in Hindi, Urdu and Kashmiri languages. And on Monday, 21 October, Omar Abdullah, son of Farooq Abdullah, took oath as MLA in Kashmiri.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary took oath in English.

The oath-taking ceremony of the MLAs marked an end to the six-year-long legislative hiatus in Jammu and Kashmir.

J-K Demands Restoration of Statehood

On 19 October, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet has passed a resolution urging the Union Government to restore the statehood of the Union Territory.

The Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution for restoration of statehood in its original form.

The Cabinet has authorised CM Abdullah to take up the matter with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Government of India for restoration of statehood.