Omar had lost the seat to People's Democratic Party candidate Qazi Mohammad Afzal during 2002 assembly polls, which proved crucial in the formation of the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP Congress coalition government that ruled the state for nearly six years.
National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, who is all set to become the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, today favoured continuation of the peace process in the state.
Pakistan's drone strikes and mortar shelling targeted six locations in Jammu, including the densely populated Rehari Colony, leaving one person injured and causing widespread damage. Residents described scenes of devastation and expressed fear, while others voiced defiance and called for action against Pakistan. The attacks, which occurred early Saturday, have been condemned by Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as the "worst targeting of civilians in Jammu city since 1971."
According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is the richest chief minister in India with assets worth over Rs 931 crore, while West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee is the poorest with just Rs 15 lakh. The average asset per chief minister is Rs 52.59 crore, and the total assets of 31 chief ministers are worth Rs 1,630 crores. The report also highlights that 13 chief ministers have declared criminal cases against themselves, with 10 of them having declared serious criminal cases.
Sticking to his promise of frequent interactions with the common masses, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has held an 'Awami Mulaqat' (meet the people), during which he interacted with scores of deputations in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said no prime minister can revoke Article 370 of the Constitution granting special status to the state "without calling into question" its accession to India.
The Jammu Development Authority (JDA) demolished a dozen shops belonging to displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu city, allegedly without issuing notices, sparking protests from various sections demanding action against the officials. The shops were located on JDA land and had been built by displaced Kashmiri Pandits near the Muthi camp three decades ago. The demolition drive sparked outrage from political parties, including the BJP, PDP and Apni Party, and several Kashmir Pandit organisations, who condemned the JDA's action and called for the construction of new shops to help the displaced community sustain their livelihood.
Asking separatists to refrain from violence during the holy month of Ramzan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked them to take advantage of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that he was ready to consider autonomy if there was a consensus. At the same time, Omar said the "trust deficit" between the Centre and people of the state can be bridged by "restoring autonomy".
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Jammu and briefed him about the peace and development scenario prevailing in the state at present.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that Centre's course of action regarding cases similar to Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru will determine whether Guru's hanging was "selective and political".
Former Union minister of state for external affairs and president of National Conference, Omar Abdullah has said India and Pakistan needed to rise above mutual mistrust and work together against terrorism.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he was against media censorship but the content on some social networking sites were "dangerous and inflammatory".
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday termed the provisional attachment order of properties belonging to his father by the Enforcement Directorate as "baseless" and wondered how an ancestral property could be seen as proceeds of "crime".
Omar Abdullah lost by 204,142 votes; Mehbooba Mufti by 281, 794 votes.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reiterated his idea of setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to probe all the killings in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 21-years.
The tragedy struck the family on May 7 when they found themselves in the middle of intense Pakistani shelling at their rented accommodation in Poonch which was badly hit by the cross-border shelling.
Voting for this crucial phase, covering 40 assembly segments across seven districts -- Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in the Jammu region and Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir -- is scheduled for October 1.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday declared that the government has taken every possible precaution in all districts of the state to deal with the fallout of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Abdullah confirmed that he had been informed by the Centre on Friday evening about Guru's execution.
'PM Modi would have swept the elections in Kashmir after notebandi but then he scrapped Article 370 so all his good work went down the drain.'
'Anybody who says one critical word can be branded as somebody who's glorifying terrorism.'
Supporting Omar Abdullah's demand for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said the chief minister is "the boss" in the state and the Centre should take his views on the controversial Act.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has threatened to resign in the wake of the government's decision to call an all party meeting on Wednesday on the issue of repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the valley. "I will have to think whether to continue as chief minister of the state or not. Let my party president Dr Farooq Abdullah return and we will discuss the situation," Omar said.
Reacting to Omar Abdullah's stand against hanging of death row convict Afzal Guru, families of the 2001 Parliament attack victims on Thursday accused the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister of being "insensitive" and demanded setting up of a special court to fast-track terror cases.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday submitted his resignation to Governor N N Vohra.
Two years after the special status of Jammu And Kashmir was abrogated and he was detained for 234 days, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that after initially being 'deeply jaded' he had realised that as a politician he didn't have the right to 'mourn' for long and could not let down the people struggling for their basic constitutional rights.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday assured the state assembly that the recent report of the Amnesty International on human rights situation in the state would be given 'due consideration and suggestions made in the report viewed seriously.'
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday asked border villages residents, who were evacuated to safer places in view of cross border shelling by Pakistan, not to rush back to homes as they are yet to sanitise and clear these areas of any unexplored shells.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed concern over the increased ceasefire violations by Pakistan but said they should not be allowed to hijack the Indo-Pak dialogue process.
Jammu and Kashmir government is contemplating to put in place a more concrete mechanism to check inflow of foreign funds to protestors in the state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday as he met Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi.
Local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held as per schedule in October and the state government will make every effort to reduce the "influence of the gun", Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told an all-party meeting to discuss the situation in the state. During the meeting called by Omar yesterday, leaders of various political parties expressed their support to the Chief Minister in restoring peace in the Valley, sources said.
As night fell over Chositi village, rescuers worked frantically and pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble. Of these, 38 are in a serious condition, officials said. The death toll went up steadily as the day progressed and there were fears it could rise further.
The last Friday prayers of Ramzan (Jumatul Vida) were not allowed to be held at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed dismay and anguish over speculation in the media about his private life and the status of his marriage. In a message on social networking site Twitter, Abdullah said, "Have seen with dismay and anguish the growing tide of speculation in the media about my private life and the status of my marriage. While it's true that my wife and I have separated, speculation about the motives and my future actions are unfounded"
Raj Kumar Thapa, additional district development commissioner, Rajouri, and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in Rajouri town, the officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's "make-up kit" remark on Friday led to a protest by state's women panchayat members, who termed the statement as an "insult" to women.
The meeting with the Prime Minister comes a day after Omar had discussions with Defence Minister A K Antony and Army Chief V K Singh to press for early removal of the Act from certain parts of the state.
Mehbooba Mufti said she will not contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out that she would not be able to fulfil her party's agenda in the union territory set up even if she were to become the chief minister.
Jammu and Kashmmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday hit out at Narendra Modi for his "lies" during public speeches and also dared him to speak about dynasty politics in states like Punjab and Maharashtra.
Heavy rain triggered flash floods in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing three people and prompting the rescue of over 100 others. The floods also caused landslides and mudslides, disrupting traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Rescue operations are ongoing, and the situation is being monitored by authorities.
The attack, which took place near a heavily guarded complex housing All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra near the Tourist Reception Centre, comes a day after security forces eliminated a top Pakistani commander of Lashkar-e-Tayiba in the Khanyar locality of downtown Srinagar.
