Farooq Abdullah

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title: "Farooq Abdullah" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1937-births", "living-people", "20th-century-indian-muslims", "21st-century-indian-muslims", "jammu-&-kashmir-national-conference-politicians", "abdullah-family-(politics)", "rajya-sabha-members-from-jammu-and-kashmir", "chief-ministers-of-jammu-and-kashmir", "kashmiri-politicians", "chief-ministers-from-jammu-&-kashmir-national-conference", "leaders-of-the-opposition-in-jammu-and-kashmir", "20th-century-indian-medical-doctors", "india-mps-1980–1984", "india-mps-2009–2014", "lok-sabha-members-from-jammu-and-kashmir", "india-mps-2014–2019", "medical-doctors-from-jammu-and-kashmir", "india-mps-2019–2024", "members-of-the-cabinet-of-india", "jammu-and-kashmir-mlas-1987–1996", "jammu-and-kashmir-mlas-1996–2002", "sawai-man-singh-medical-college-alumni", "kashmiri-muslims", "tyndale-biscoe-school-alumni", "jammu-and-kashmir-mlas-2008–2014", "jammu-and-kashmir-mlas-1983–1986"] description: "Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (born 1937)" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farooq_Abdullah" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (born 1937) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Farooq Abdullah
image	Farooq Abdullah addressing at the presentation ceremony of the Cash Prizes to the best performing Regional Rural Banks and Certificates for extending loans for SPV home lighting systems during 2009-10, in New Delhi (cropped).jpg
caption	Abdullah in New Delhi, 2011
birth_date
birth_place	Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, British India
office3	Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
constituency3	Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
term_start3	16 April 2017
predecessor3	Tariq Hameed Karra
term_start4	13 May 2009
term_end4	12 May 2014
predecessor4	Omar Abdullah
successor4	Tariq Hameed Karra
constituency4	Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
term_start5	6 January 1980
term_end5	5 January 1983
predecessor5	Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah
successor5	Abdul Rashid Kabuli
constituency5	Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
office	4th Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
term_start	9 October 1996
term_end	18 October 2002
governor	K. V. Krishna Rao
Girish Chandra Saxena
predecessor	President's rule
successor	Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
term_start1	7 November 1986
term_end1	18 January 1990
governor1	Jagmohan Malhotra
K. V. Krishna Rao
predecessor1	Governor's rule
successor1	Governor's rule
governor2	Braj Kumar Nehru
Jagmohan Malhotra
term_start2	8 September 1982
term_end2	2 July 1984
predecessor2	Sheikh Abdullah
successor2	Ghulam Mohammad Shah
office9	Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India
primeminister9	Manmohan Singh
term_start9	28 May 2009
term_end9	26 May 2014
predecessor9	Vilas Muttemwar
successor9	Piyush Goyal
office10	President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
term_start10	2009
vicepresident10	Omar Abdullah
predecessor10	Omar Abdullah
term11	1981 – 2002
predecessor11	Sheikh Abdullah
successor11	Omar Abdullah
office12	Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
term_start12	30 November 2002
term_end12	16 May 2009
constituency12	Jammu and Kashmir
nationality	Indian
party	Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
relations	Sheikh Mustafa Kamal (brother)
spouse
children
residence
alma_mater	Tyndale Biscoe School
Sawai Man Singh Medical College
occupation	Politician
termend3	4 June 2024
successor3	Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi
parents
::

| honorific-prefix = | name = Farooq Abdullah | native_name = | image = Farooq Abdullah addressing at the presentation ceremony of the Cash Prizes to the best performing Regional Rural Banks and Certificates for extending loans for SPV home lighting systems during 2009-10, in New Delhi (cropped).jpg | imagesize = | smallimage = | caption = Abdullah in New Delhi, 2011 | birth_date = | birth_place = Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, British India | office3 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | constituency3 = Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir | term_start3 = 16 April 2017 | predecessor3 = Tariq Hameed Karra | term_start4 = 13 May 2009 | term_end4 = 12 May 2014 | predecessor4 = Omar Abdullah | successor4 = Tariq Hameed Karra | constituency4 = Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir | term_start5 = 6 January 1980 | term_end5 = 5 January 1983 | predecessor5 = Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah | successor5 = Abdul Rashid Kabuli | constituency5 = Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir | office = 4th Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir | term_start = 9 October 1996 | term_end = 18 October 2002 | governor = K. V. Krishna Rao Girish Chandra Saxena | predecessor = President's rule | successor = Mufti Mohammad Sayeed | term_start1 = 7 November 1986 | term_end1 = 18 January 1990 | governor1 = Jagmohan Malhotra K. V. Krishna Rao | predecessor1 = Governor's rule | successor1 = Governor's rule | governor2 = Braj Kumar Nehru Jagmohan Malhotra | term_start2 = 8 September 1982 | term_end2 = 2 July 1984 | predecessor2 = Sheikh Abdullah | successor2 = Ghulam Mohammad Shah | office9 = Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India | primeminister9 = Manmohan Singh | term_start9 = 28 May 2009 | term_end9 = 26 May 2014 | predecessor9 = Vilas Muttemwar | successor9 = Piyush Goyal | office10 = President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | term_start10 = 2009 | term_end10 = | vicepresident10 = Omar Abdullah | predecessor10 = Omar Abdullah | term11 = 1981 – 2002 | predecessor11 = Sheikh Abdullah | successor11 = Omar Abdullah | office12 = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | term_start12 = 30 November 2002 | term_end12 = 16 May 2009 | constituency12 = Jammu and Kashmir | nationality = Indian | party = Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | relations = Sheikh Mustafa Kamal (brother) | spouse = | children = | residence = | alma_mater = Tyndale Biscoe School Sawai Man Singh Medical College | occupation = Politician | signature = | termend3 = 4 June 2024 | successor3 = Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi | parents = Farooq Abdullah (born 21 October 1937) is an Indian politician who serves as current president of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference. He has served as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions since 1982 till 2002, and as the union minister for New and Renewable Energy between 2009 and 2014. His father Sheikh Abdullah was the 1st elected chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. He is the father of Omar Abdullah who is current chief minister. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Pranab_Mukherjee_being_greeted_by_the_Vice_President,_Shri_Mohd._Hamid_Ansari,_the_Prime_Minister_of_India,_Dr._Manmohan_Singh_and_the_Union_Minister_for_New_and_Renewable_Energy,_Dr._Farooq_Abdullah.jpg" caption="Rashtrapati Bhavan]] in New Delhi, 2013"] ::

Early life and education

Farooq Abdullah was born to the veteran statesman and National Conference leader Sheikh Abdullah and Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah. He studied at Tyndale Biscoe School, and subsequently received his MBBS degree from SMS Medical College, Jaipur. He subsequently travelled to the UK to practice medicine.

Family

He is married to Molly, a nurse of British origin. They have a son, Omar, and three daughters, Safia, Hinna, and Sara. Their son Omar Abdullah is also involved in state and national politics, and is the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Sara was married to Congress leader Sachin Pilot, but they divorced in late 2023.

Political career

Entry into politics

At that time his father Sheikh Abdullah was serving as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah was elected to the Lok Sabha unopposed as a founding party member of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency in the 1980 General Election.

Chief Minister, 1982–1984

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 of Sheikh Abdullah. After his father's death in 1982, Farooq Abdullah became the chief minister of the state. In 1984, a faction of the National conference led by his brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah broke away, leading to the collapse of his government and his dismissal. Shah subsequently became the Chief Minister with the support of the Congress.

1984–1996

In 1986, G.M. Shah's government was dismissed after the communal 1986 Kashmir riots in South Kashmir, and a new National Conference–Congress government was sworn in with Abdullah as the chief minister, after the Rajiv-Farooq accord.

A new election was held in 1987 and the National Conference–Congress alliance won the election amid allegations of fraud and widespread election rigging by the National Conference. This period saw a rise in militancy in the state, with the return of trained militants in J&K and incidents that included the kidnapping of the daughter of the Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The period also witnessed the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley. Subsequently, Farooq Abdullah resigned in protest after Jagmohan was appointed the governor, and the state's assembly was dismissed. He subsequently moved to the United Kingdom.{{cite book|last=Dulat|first=Amarjeet Singh |title=Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years |publisher=Harper Collins |year=2015|isbn=978-9-3517-7066-4 |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/9789351770664/kashmir-the-vajpayee-years}}

Chief Minister, 1996–2002

After returning to India, and winning the Legislative Assembly elections in 1996, Abdullah was once again sworn in as chief minister of the state, his fifth time. His government lasted for a full six-year term. In 1999, the National Conference joined the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led National Democratic Alliance, and his son Omar Abdullah was subsequently appointed a union minister of state for External Affairs.

Subsequent political career

In the 2002 Legislative Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah was chosen to lead the National Conference, while Farooq Abdullah intended to continue his political career at the Central level. The National Conference lost the election and a coalition government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took office. On that year Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 promised to make Abdullah the vice-president, but later reneged on his promise because of Abdul Kalam's nomination to President and Krishan Kant's disagree.

Farooq Abdullah was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002 from Jammu and Kashmir and re-elected in 2009. He resigned from the Rajya Sabha in May 2009 and won a seat in the Lok Sabha from Srinagar. Abdullah joined the United Progressive Alliance government as a Cabinet Minister of New and Renewable Energy.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/The_Union_Minister_for_New_and_Renewable_Energy,_Dr._Farooq_Abdullah_and_Princess_Astrid_of_Belgium,_in_a_bilateral_meeting,_in_New_Delhi_on_November_25,_2013.jpg" caption="Farooq Abdullah meets with [[Princess Astrid of Belgium]] in 2013 in New Delhi."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Farooq_Abdullah_with_the_Mongolian_President,_Mr._Tsakhia_Elbegdorj,_in_Ulaanbaatar._Dr._Abdullah_is_in_Mongolia_to_attend_the_oath_taking_ceremony_of_Elbegdorj.jpg" caption="Farooq Abdullah with the President of Mongolia [[Tsakhia Elbegdorj]] during his oath taking ceremony in [[Ulaanbaatar]] in 2013."] ::

Abdullah contested the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat again in the 2014 General Election, but was defeated by the People's Democratic Party candidate Tariq Hameed Karra. In 2017, Tariq Hameed Karra resigned from the position, leading to a by-election for the Srinagar parliamentary seat. Abdullah got 48,555 votes and defeated PDP candidate Nazir Ahmed Khan by 10,700 votes.

On 16 September 2019, Abdullah became the first mainstream politician to be detained under the Public Safety Act. Prior to this, Abdullah was under house arrest since the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution of India. He was released from house detention under the PSA after seven and a half months on 13 March 2020.

In 2022, before the election of the President of India, Mamata Bannerjee along with several other opposition leaders had proposed Abdullah's name as the Opposition's candidate. But Abdullah declined the offer stating that he wanted to remain in active politics for more years and concentrated on the Kashmir Union Territory issue.

370 Hearing

After his son Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah made his presence in the Supreme court of India in relation to Article 370 hearing. In 2024, he was neither contested in Lok Sabha polls and Assembly polls. He was also not contested in 2025 Indian Rajya Sabha elections.

References

References

1. "Members : Lok Sabha".
2. (21 October 1937). "Farooq Abdullah Biography - About family, political life, awards won, history".
3. "Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah 'divorced', reveals poll affidavit".
4. "TitlePage-VolI_LS99.PDF".
5. (2 July 2015). "Vajpayee reneged on promise to make Farooq V-P: Ex-RAW boss".
6. "Alphabetical List Of Former Members Of Rajya Sabha Since 1952". 164.100.47.5.
7. (15 April 2017). "Srinagar By-Election: Farooq Abdullah Beats PDP Candidate In Key Contest". Ndtv.com.
8. (16 September 2019). "Farooq Abdullah, 83, Detained Under Tough Public Safety Act". Ndtv.com.
9. (13 March 2020). "Farooq Abdullah's detention order revoked after seven-and-half months of captivity; 82-yr-old Srinagar MP was under house arrest".
10. "Farooq Abdullah Declines To Be Opposition's Presidential Candidate".

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