SRINAGAR: Omar Abdullah, 54, is poised to become the first chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. His political journey began at the age of 28 when he became an MP. He served as the member of Union cabinet under then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He held the post of the MoS External Affairs.After the fall of the Vajpayee government, he focused on J&K politics and contested his first Assembly election in 2002 from Ganderbal, his family’s stronghold in central Kashmir.Despite losing his maiden Assembly poll from Ganderbal, six years later, he again contested from Ganderbal seat and emerged victorious. He became the youngest CM of J&K in 2009 and completed his full term.After the 2014 polls, Abduallah’s power waned and as the PDP-BJP coalition government took over, and he assumed the role of an opposition leader. He was arrested and booked under stringent PSA after Article 370 abrogation on August 5, 2019. During his eight months long detention, he did not cut his beard as a sign of defiance.He contested the recently held Lok Sabha polls from Baramulla seat in north Kashmir but lost to Er Rashid, who was in jail.Once the Assembly election bugle was sounded, he not only changed his decision of not contesting till statehood was restored but also contested from two seats—Budgam and Ganderbal and won from the both seats. Now, from being reluctant to contest the polls, he is just days away from taking over as first CM of J&K UT.
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