Synopsis
On March 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sent heartfelt birthday wishes to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The leaders expressed their hopes for his long and healthy life on social media. Omar Abdullah, born in 1970, has a rich political history and continues to advocate for J&K's statehood.Key Takeaways
- PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wished CM Omar Abdullah on his 54th birthday.
- Omar Abdullah has a notable political career starting from 1998.
- He became the youngest Chief Minister of J&K at 38.
- Omar is advocating for the restoration of statehood to J&K.
- He made a political comeback by winning two assembly constituencies recently.
Jammu, March 10 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended their heartfelt birthday wishes to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Omar Abdullah, on Monday.
Utilizing the social media platform X, PM Modi conveyed his best wishes for CM Omar's long and healthy life.
The Prime Minister shared on X, “Birthday wishes to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Ji. I am praying for his long and healthy life.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also sent his wishes to CM Omar on this special occasion.
“Warm birthday greetings to Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri @OmarAbdullah. May he lead a long and healthy life,” the Defence Minister posted on X.
Born on March 10, 1970, in Rockford, Essex, England, CM Omar is the son of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his British mother, Mollie Abdullah.
He began his education at Burn Hall School in Srinagar, which is run by missionaries.
Omar obtained a bachelor's degree in business from a college affiliated with the University of Mumbai and pursued some graduate studies in business administration at a university in Scotland.
In 1998, at just 28, he was elected to the Lok Sabha as a member of the National Conference. He was re-elected the following year, taking on a ministerial role in the Commerce and Industry Ministry within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
In 2001, he became the minister for external affairs in the NDA government, making history as the youngest to hold that position. His tenure lasted for 17 months before he resigned in December 2002 to focus on the NC's preparations for state Assembly elections.
In June 2002, Omar became the president of the NC, taking over from his father, and held that position until 2009.
However, his state-level political career began on a challenging note. During the 2002 elections, the ruling NC lost over half of the 57 Assembly seats it had secured in 1996.
Omar contested but lost his seat to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Qazi Mohammad Afzal in the Ganderbal constituency, and the PDP formed a coalition government with the Congress and smaller parties.
In 2004, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha. In the 2008 state Assembly elections, Omar won his constituency, and with 28 seats, the NC formed a new government in 2009 with the Congress's support.
At the age of 38, he became the youngest Chief Minister of J&K. He stepped down as NC president and was succeeded by his father.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Omar faced defeat in the Baramulla constituency against the incarcerated politician, Engineer Rashid.
Undeterred, Omar made a strong comeback, winning both the Ganderbal and Budgam Assembly constituencies in the legislative Assembly elections last year.
He was sworn in as the Chief Minister of J&K for the second time on October 16, 2024, although by then the state had been divided into two Union Territories: Ladakh and J&K.
As the Chief Minister of the Union Territory, Omar has been tirelessly advocating for the restoration of statehood to J&K.
