Overview
Omar Abdullah (born 10 March 1970) is an Indian politician currently serving as the Chief Minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a position he assumed in 2024. He also functions as the Leader of the House in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. He is the Vice President of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, a role he has held since 2009, and has earlier served as the party's President.
The son of Farooq Abdullah, a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar entered politics in 1998 when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, becoming the youngest member of the House at that time. He went on to be re-elected in subsequent general elections, serving in the Lok Sabha until 2009.
Abdullah served as Union Minister of State for External Affairs in the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 23 July 2001 to 23 December 2002. He resigned from the union ministry in October 2002 to focus on party work and take a larger role in state politics. The National Conference was defeated in the 2002 state elections but returned to office after the 2008 elections.
On 5 January 2009, Abdullah was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, heading a coalition government with the Indian National Congress. He was, at that time, the youngest person to hold the office. He continued in the position until early 2015, following the National Conference's defeat in the 2014 state elections. He subsequently served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Beerwah constituency and was the last Leader of the Opposition in the erstwhile state assembly before it was dissolved in 2018.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into union territories on 31 October 2019, following the revocation of Article 370, a measure Abdullah opposed. He was detained in 2019–2020 under the changed political circumstances. After his release, he resumed political activity and led the National Conference's return to government in the union territory in 2024, taking charge as Chief Minister.