Farooq Abdullah

Who is Farooq Abdullah?

Farooq Abdullah, born 21 October 1937 in Soura, Jammu & Kashmir, India, is the son of Sheikh Abdullah, is a doctor of medicine and has served as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions since 1982. He is married to Molly, a nurse of British origin. Their son, Omar Abdullah is also involved in state and national politics, and has been a member of the Lok Sabha and is the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah was a novice in the political arena of Jammu and Kashmir when he was appointed president of the National Conference in August 1981. His main qualification was that he was the son and heir of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Sheikh Abdullah. After his father's death in 1982, Farooq Abdullah became the Chief Minister of the state. In 1984, the Abdullah government was dismissed by the Governor and replaced with a pro-Congress government under Ghulam Mohammad Shah. In 1986, that government was dismissed and a new National Conference–Congress government was sworn in with Abdullah as the Chief Minister. A new election was held in 1987 and the National Conference–Congress alliance won the election amid allegations of fraud. This period saw a rise in militancy in the state, with the return of trained militants from Pakistan and incidents that included the kidnapping of the daughter of the Union Home Minister. Subsequently, the Abdullah government was dismissed once again and the state was brought under President's rule. In 1996, Abdullah was once again sworn in as Chief Minister of the state, his fifth time.