National Conference leader Omar Abdullah filed his nomination from Budgam for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Thursday. This marks his second nomination after already filing for the Ganderbal seat.
Omar Abdullah, addressing the media, explained that contesting from two seats is not a sign of weakness but rather a testament to the strength of the National Conference. He emphasized that the party is witnessing a favorable trend across regions such as Baramulla, Anantnag, and Srinagar. “The past five to six years have been marked by misgovernance and corruption allegations, all of which will be investigated,” he added.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the revocation of Article 370, stating, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir are not happy with the decision. There is a positive atmosphere for the National Conference, and we are hopeful that our alliance partners will also find success.”
In related developments, Jammu and Kashmir BJP Chief Ravinder Raina filed his nomination for the Nowshera Assembly seat.
The upcoming elections are significant, as they will be the first since the abrogation of Article 370. The state has 90 assembly constituencies, including 7 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Polling will take place in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1.
In preparation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notification prohibiting the publication of exit polls from 7 am on September 18 to 6:30 pm on October 5.