Omar Abdullah Back As Jammu And Kashmir Chief Minister After 10 Years

Barely four months after he lost the Lok Sabha elections from the Srinagar seat, there has been a swift turnaround in Omar Abdullah’s political fortune. The 55-year-old, who won from both Budgam and Ganderbal, today took oath as the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister after the National Conference and Congress alliance won 48 out of 90 seats in recently concluded assembly polls. He is the first leader to take charge after Article 370, which granted special status to J&K, was scrapped by the central government in 2019. It is Mr Abdullah’s second term as the Chief Minister. He previously served as the Chief Minister from 2009 to 2014.

Omar Abdullah was born on March 10, 1970, in Rochford, Essex, United Kingdom. He is the grandson of Sheikh Abdullah and the son of Farooq Abdullah. The two senior Abdullahs also served as Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir. His mother, Mollie Abdullah, was an English nurse.

Omar Abdullah completed his education at the Burn Hall School in Srinagar and Lawrence School in Sanawar. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai. Before his foray into politics, he worked with ITC Limited and The Oberoi Group. He enrolled in an MBA program at the University of Strathclyde but dropped out after his win in the 1998 Lok Sabha election