Aasha Khosa

Omar Abdullah’s career as a politician took off at a high pitch – he almost walked into the Parliament of India straight from his drawing room when he was elected as a Lok Sabha member in the 1998 election. A business management graduate, the young Abdullah was trusted with a dream job. At 28, Atal Bihari Vajpayee appointed him as a Minister of State in his cabinet; first in charge of commerce and trade and later external affairs.

However, on his next assignment as Chief Minister of J&K, Omar came across as a gentlemanly politician and yet not so efficient. Probably the turn of events in volatile Kashmir was too much for the 38-year-old Abdullah to handle. A 100-day spell of stone pelting left some 100 youths dead and a devastating flood at the fag end of his term saw his government in limbo.

However, almost a decade later, Omar Abdullah systematically campaigned for the party founded by his grandfather and came across as a seasoned leader. His aging father, Farooq Abdullah, who is prone to making dramatic statements at the drop of a hat, was mostly absent during the campaign. A crushing defeat in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency a few months ago left him chastised.

Omar Abdullah leading NC's election campaign

This time, he spoke in Kashmir, a language that he couldn't speak when he started his political career. It became an issue then. Also, he acted humble when he removed his cap during an election rally and begged for votes from the public. He even contradicted her father on the issue on social media.

In light of these turns, It is no exaggeration to say that this election saw Omar Abdullah's coming of age as a leader.

However, Abdullah may have won a comfortable majority in the J&K Assembly and soon take charge in a peaceful Kashmir where terrorism is down, life is normal, and pro-Pakistani elements are decimated, it doesn’t lessen his challenges.

The major political challenge will be the seething anger in the Jammu region where BJP has not only emerged as the largest party but also secured the highest vote percentage, even higher than the National Conference, in the State.

Omar Abdullah with party leaders during the campaigning

The oasis of peace that Jammu remained during over three decades of violence in Kashmir is suddenly vulnerable to an eruption of public anger and religious polarization.  

At 54 and with three decades of exposure to public life and governance, Omar Abdullah has to take care of it proactively.

Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is unlikely to vanish, for the neighbouring country continues to push in armed mercenaries from the international border in the Jammu region. Though the Army and Security Forces are taking care of the intruders, at times, the counter-terrorism operations tend to clash with the popular mood. Leaders play a crucial role in managing such situations.

Being head of the Unified Command comprising all the forces and the Indian Army is an apex conglomerate got counter-terrorism operations in J&K, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will have to lead the campaign against terrorists soon after taking over.

Like all leaders, Omar Abdullah's biggest is to meet the aspirations of the people who have not voted for the restoration of Article 370 but for development, especially tackling unemployment.

Kashmir has lagged in infrastructure development and manufacturing due to three decades of high-level Pakistan-sponsored terrorism coupled with public unrest. It coincided with a boom in the Indian economy and a thrust on manufacturing and foreign investments.

Omar Abdullah with sons Zamir and Zahir during election campaign

No leader worth his salt can change things overnight but as Chief Minister, he has to give hope and do some quick fixes.

Drug addiction and radicalization among the youth is a major challenge facing Kashmiri society and the new government must come up with local solutions to counter these.

Besides, J&K has the highest unemployment rate in the country. In 2017, the unemployment rate for people aged 18–29 in J&K was 24.6%, much higher than the national rate of 13.2% for the same age. Omar Abdullah’s government will have to collaborate with the Narendra Modi government to bring in industries to J&K that can create jobs.

As peace is imperative for businesses to move into an area, the biggest task for Omar the chief minister will be to ensure that the environment in Kashmir is not disrupted.

Another area where Omar Abdullah must break the tradition is to include fresh faces in his cabinet. This is easier said than done because many senior leaders have either been re-elected or in some cases, their children have won the election and they are likely to call the shots.

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Can Omar Abdullah, who paraded his two young sons for a possible future role during the campaigning, eschew the Nepo-kids phenomenon to match the aspirations of young voters?