Farooq Abdullah re-elected NC president

The National Conference re-elected Dr Farooq Abdullah as its party president and passed a resolution demanding the restoration of Article 370, 35A, statehood and immediate elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah was elected unopposed with delegates across Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh voting in majority in favour of the NC leader despite his reluctance to continue as party president. Abdullah has been the NC president since August 1981, except for the four years from 2002 to 2006, when his son Omar Abdullah replaced him.

The NC held the elections at the mausoleum of party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in Naseem Bagh of Srinagar on his 117th birth anniversary. Hundreds of party supporters attended the gathering.

The NC passed six political resolutions, including restoration of Articles 370, 35A to their original and undiluted form, restoration of full statehood to J&K and assembly elections at the earliest.

Abdullah said NC's boycott of the previous panchayat elections was a mistake which will never be repeated.