Omar Abdullah to Contest from Baramulla Lok Sabha Seat

Srinagar: The National Conference (NC) on Friday named its vice-president and former CM Omar Abdullah as its candidate for north Kashmir’s Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. He will replace the sitting MP Mohammad Akbar Lone.

The party has fielded a senior NC leader Aga Syed Ruhulla from Srinagar, which is now represented by the party chief Dr Farooq Abdullah.

The announcement of replacing the sitting MP Mohammad Akbar Lone with Omar Abdullah was made by Dr Abdullah in a press conference in Srinagar.

The NC has announced its candidates for three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir, while it is supporting Congress candidates on the two seats of Jammu.

The PDP, which is also a partner of the INDIA bloc, has also announced its three candidates. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has been named the candidate for south Kashmir’s Anantnag seat.

Dr Farooq Abdullah said that the influential Shia leader, Aga Syed Ruhulla Mehdi, will contest from the Srinagar constituency.

After abrogation of Article 370, and degradation of J&K state into a union territory in 2019, Omar had announced that he would not contest the Assembly elections unless J&K’s statehood was restored.