The defeat in Ganderbal was a lesson for Omar, who far from being disheartened by the defeat concentrated on nurturing not only his own constituency but other parts as well to strengthen the party.
The fact that Omar acts from his conviction was evident in 2006 when despite the disapproval of the UPA government, he held a one-on-one meeting with the then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad. The meeting was the first of its kind between a mainstream political leader from Kashmir and the Pakistan government.
Omar escaped an assassination bid in 2007 when suspected terrorists fired two rifle grenades targeting him when he was interacting with party workers at a party leader's house.
Image: A Kashmiri supporter kisses the face of Omar after the latter won a seat in legislative assembly elections
Photograph: Fayaz Kabli/Reuters
Also see: 'I will not tolerate corruption'
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