Ahmed Ali Fayyaz/Srinagar

The 87-year old patriarch of the National Conference Dr Farooq Abdullah seems to be hanging his boots after contesting nine Lok Sabha and Assembly elections – and losing only once - in his 45-year political career.

This physician-turned politician had returned from London to take over the reins of the outfit founded by his father Sheikh Abdullah in 1977. Three years later when the Sheikh died, he took over as President of the National Conference and there has been no looking back for him.

He served as Chief Minister four times, Rajya Sabha member for one term and a Union Cabinet Minister too.

Abdullah looks in the pink of his health having overcome some issues as he played a key role in distribution of tickets for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. He is campaigning for the Congress candidates in Jammu region and for his party in Kashmir.

Farooq lost the elections only once in his lifetime when he was defeated by Peoples Democratic Party’s Tariq Hamid Karra in Srinagar in the Lok Sabha polls of 2014.

In all, Farooq contested 5 Lok Sabha elections—all from Srinagar. He was returned in 1980 (uncontested), 2009, 2017 (by-election) and 2019.

NC sources say that in the Assembly elections to be held this year, his son Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Ministerial candidate of the party.

As NC announced the names of its candidate for the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir, the senior Abdullah has the NC has virtually announced Farooq’s retirement from electoral politics. However, he could always seek the entry to Rajya Sabha.

The NC has fielded veteran Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad from Anantnag, Omar Abdullah from Srinagar and Aga Syed Ruhullah, former Minister and three-time MLA, from Baramulla as candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

This will be the first election in J&K after the abolition of article 370 and the subsequent changed security environment. NC has projected this election as peoples' first verdict on the Modi government's move of abolishing the special status of the erstwhile state.

“Doctor Sahab shall continuously provide leadership to us and campaign assiduously in the current elections but he is no longer interested in contesting and becoming a Minister, Chief Minister or a Member of Parliament”, said a senior NC leader and two-time ex-Minister.

Farooq handed over reins of his party to his only son Omar Abdullah, in 2002. This largekly family run party faced a major challenge from the PDP, as it lost Assembly elections of 2002 for the first time to PDP.

Farooq Abdullah contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election and became a Minister in Manmohan Singh’s government.

The PDP continued to pose a threat to NC. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election NC lost all the three Lok Sabha seats from Kashmir to the PDP.

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However, Farooq Abdullah retrieved his seas in the subsequent bye election in 2017 and two years later NC got back all the three valley seats.