In eye of National Conference storm, CM Omar Abdullah's confidant: Who is Nasir Aslam Wani

Despite 18 dissident NC MLAs' demand to remove Nasir Aslam Wani as his advisor, Omar would not want to capitulate to internal party pressure and risk undermining his authority over government

As the ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir struggles to contain the fallout of discontent among its 18 legislators following the Cabinet expansion, one thing has united the dissident MLAs: the demand for removal of Nasir Aslam Wani as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's advisor.

These NC legislators resent the proximity of Wani, 60, to the CM and his "overarching influence" on the government's decision making. While they are insisting on his ouster, it would not be an easy decision for Omar.

By conceding to their demand, the CM would risk being seen as capitulating to internal party pressure, setting a precedent that could further embolden dissidents and undermine his authority over a government that still has three years left in office.

Wani's rise

Belonging to a political family, Wani's rise in the NC has upset many in the party as they see him as an "unelected party leader, who had been thrust on them for being the CM's confidant".

Wani's appointment as Omar's advisor since October 2024, when he took charge as the CM, became a source of resentment among a section of the NC leaders and legislators, especially because the 2019 reorganisation of J&K capped the strength of the Cabinet at nine, including the CM.

With limited ministerial berths available, Wani's role as the CM's advisor has left several NC aspirants feeling overlooked and resentful.

Wani's family hails from Sogam village of frontier Kupwara district. His grandfather G N Wani, popularly known as G N Sogami, twice represented the Lolab Assembly segment in 1962 and 1967. He was also a minister in the Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad Cabinet.

Wani began his political journey with the Youth National Conference (YNC), the NC's youth wing, in 1998. A decade later, he made his electoral debut, contesting the 2008 Assembly elections from Srinagar's Amirakadal constituency on the NC's ticket. He defeated the PDP's Parvez Bhat, marking an electoral breakthrough that established him as a rising face in the NC.

He was first inducted into the NC Cabinet in 2009 during Omar's first term as the CM. He was appointed the Minister of State (MoS) with key portfolios including Tourism, Culture, Public Health Engineering, Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, and Housing and Urban Development.

In 2011, Omar entrusted him with an additional responsibility, appointing him the MoS for Home. Since the Home portfolio was retained by the CM himself, Wani worked directly under Omar, placing him at the centre of the government's administrative affairs.

Following the NC's rout in the 2014 Assembly elections, in which it was reduced to just 15 seats, its worst performance since 1975, Wani was entrusted with another key organisational responsibility despite losing his own seat to then PDP leader Altaf Bukhari, who would later go on to float the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party.

Despite the electoral setback, Wani was appointed the NC's provincial president for Kashmir, a position he held until his appointment as Omar's advisor.

Despite his electoral loss from Amirakadal, Wani's stature within the NC continued to rise. In 2022, he was tasked with overseeing the party's affairs in the Kupwara Assembly segment.

you may like

In the 2024 Assembly polls, the NC fielded Wani from Kupwara, shifting former minister and senior party leader Saifullah Mir to the newly carved Trehgam constituency. This decision triggered resentment among sections of the party cadre in Kupwara. Wani went on to lose the election to his PDP rival, Fayaz Ahmad Mir by over 10,000 votes. His defeat, particularly at a time when the NC swept the Assembly polls and defeated the PDP across the Valley, did little to diminish Omar's confidence in him. The CM subsequently appointed Wani as his advisor.

Several NC leaders attributed Wani's defeat to the party factionalism in Kupwara, arguing that sections of the party cadre viewed him as an "outsider", given that he had long been based in Srinagar and had previously contested elections from the city.

Wani, however, has his supporters within the party as well, who credit his organisational abilities and leadership with helping the NC rebuild its political base after its electoral debacle in 2014.