Omar’s balancing act as five-member cabinet takes charge in J&K

Srinagar: From facing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in June to scripting history four months later as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after an emphatic victory in the assembly elections, it has been quite a roller-coaster ride for Omar Abdullah.
Abdullah, 54, was sworn in as chief minister on Wednesday, marking the beginning of his second stint and the third generation of the influential Abdullah clan — after his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and father Farooq Abdullah — in power.
The National Conference (NC) vice-president served as chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from 2009-14.
In June, Abdullah endured an embarrassing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, losing Baramulla seat to Independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, by more than 2 lakh votes.
While other parties were busy gearing up for the assembly polls, Abdullah announced he would sit out of the contest till the Centre restores statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He soon changed his stance, and the NC fielded him from not one but two seats — Budgam and Ganderbal. He won both by comfortable margins.
The MBA dropout from the University of Strathclyde took the electoral plunge in 1998 and was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha at the age of 28, becoming the youngest member of the Lower House.
He was elected again in 1999 and served as minister of state for Industries and Commerce and then MoS External Affairs in 2000, only to resign from the council of ministers following the Godhra carnage.
After his father passed him the baton, Abdullah lost the assembly elections from the family bastion of Ganderbal in 2002 to little-known candidate Qazi Mohammad Afzal.
He was again elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004.
Afzal’s decision as the then forest minister to transfer forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board in 2008 sparked massive protests. Seizing the opportunity, Abdullah made a career-defining speech in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the assembly elections held at the end of 2008, he wrested Ganderbal and the NC emerged as the single largest party. He became the chief minister at the age of 38, one of the youngest in the country, and headed the coalition government with the Congress.
Grassroots leader
Surinder Kumar Choudhary, 56: The National Conference leader took his oath in Hindi and became the first deputy chief minister of J&K after emerging as a giant slayer in the recent assembly elections from Nowshera constituency in Rajouri district of Jammu region. He defeated J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina from the region that has otherwise voted for the saffron party.
Choudhary’s elevation and induction are seen as the NC’s attempt to maintain regional balance in representing Jammu. He is one of the only two Hindu faces among the 42 MLAs of the NC across the Union Territory.
Choudhary’s has a humble background as he passed his higher secondary examination in 1987 from a government school at Nowshera. As a politician, he is well connected to the grassroots and is considered a people’s man in his constituency.
Voice of women
Sakeena Itoo, 53: Itoo is one of the two women faces of the National Conference who won the assembly election. This is her third stint as the MLA of Damhal Hanjipora, previously Nooranad. Itoo joined politics and survived multiple assassination bids in the thick of militancy after her politician father, Wali Mohammad Itoo, was killed by militants in 1994. At 26, she won her first assembly election in 1996, becoming the youngest member of the state’s assembly. She served as minister of social welfare, administrative reforms, education and tourism.
Youngest member
Satish Sharma, 42: One of the seven Independents who won the recent assembly elections, Sharma expressed his support for the NC after winning from Chhamb constituency in Jammu district. The NC, in its effort to give representation to Jammu region, included Sharma in the cabinet. A businessman, Sharma was awarded the MBA degree from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff in 2008. He is the youngest face in the cabinet.
Seasoned tribal leader
Javed Ahmad Rana, 61: A seasoned NC leader from Mendhar constituency, which is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe community, Rana won the election for the second time in a row. This time, he defeated Murtaza Khan of the BJP, while in 2014, he defeated the PDP candidate. He won his first election in 2002 when he became the MLA from Mendhar. He graduated in law from the University of Jammu in 1989.
Represents North Kashmir
Javid Ahmad Dar, 50: While Sakina Itoo was picked from south Kashmir, Dar is the only MLA from north Kashmir to make it to Omar’s cabinet. He defeated Yawar Mir of Apni Party to win the Rafiabad seat of north Kashmir. Previously, he represented the constituency in 2008 and went on to become the minister of state in the cabinet.