Omar Abdullah's son enjoys new found celebrity status

Srinagar Dec 29: Omar Abdullah's nine-year old son Zahir, who accompanied his father on the victory lap in Ganderbal and instantly hit it off with the people, is enjoying a new found celebrity status. 

Zahir, whose picture was flashed across major newspapers on Monday, struck a chord when he spontaneously started accepting greetings from the people who lined up the streets in Ganderbal to welcome his father and their new representative on Sunday. 

As the father-son duo emerged from the local election office in Ganderbal, Omar climbed onto their jeep amid loud cheers from the crowd. 

Zahir too hopped onto to the bonnet and handed over a microphone to his father but only after testing it. People clapped as the young boy majestically surveyed the huge gathering. 

Dressed in a red jacket and grey denims, an excited Zahir waved at the crowd, shook hands with people as he sat atop the red beacon fitted vehicle which moved at a snail's pace in the bylanes of this hilly township. 

While many elderly women dared the biting cold to be at the scene to bless him, young men and children danced to the drum beats and raised slogans in support of Omar. 

Omar thanked the people for electing him to serve them while Zahir stood close to his father relishing every moment and the reception his father was getting. 

After Omar completed his speech, an old lady walked upto the vehicle and handed over a Rs 100 note to Zahir as a token of love. 

Lensmen had a field day as they clicked cherubic Zahir standing with his father holding a plough—the election symbol of NC. 

Brimming with confidence, Omar dedicated his victory to the people of the constituency. 

"I wanted to begin from the same seat where I had tasted defeat, the first one, of course...I knew the vote against me in 2002 was the anger of people and all I wanted to convince them was to give me a chance," Omar said.