J-K Assembly polls: Omar Abdullah to contest from Budgam, also files nomination from Ganderbal

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah filed nomination papers from the Ganderbal assembly seat for upcoming elections on Wednesday. However, he will contest from another seat -Budgam- as well. Omar will file the nomination from Budgam tomorrow (Thursday).

"I have filled the (nomination) papers from Ganderbal. Let's not talk about who is contesting from where. The people of Ganderbal have elected me thrice as a member of Parliament and once as an MLA. I gave up my seat to Ishfaq Jabbar only because I promised him to do so and then he became an MLA but he cheated the people of Ganderbal. Today, we are going to fight elections for the development of Ganderbal," Abdullah said after filling his



nomination.

Abdullah, accompanied by senior leaders of the party and his sons, filed the papers before the returning officer at the Mini-Secretariat in Ganderbal.

The former CM reached the Mini-Secretariat sitting atop a vehicle. A huge number of enthusiastic NC supporters accompanied him during the nomination.

This marks the return of the NC leader to the constituency that he represented from 2009 to 2014 when he was the chief minister of the NC-Congress coalition government in the erstwhile state of J-K.

He fought and won the 2014 assembly polls from Beerwah assembly seat in central Kashmir's Budgam district. Abdullah had also contested from the Sonawar seat in Srinagar, but was defeated there by then PDP leader Mohammad Ashraf Mir.