In 1996, BJP had won 8 seats in the Jammu region. PDP held sway over rural voters and swept south Kashmir bagging 12 out of 16 seats in Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts.

With its base in Srinagar, the state's summer capital, NC swept 13 out of 15 seats in central Kashmir reflecting a divide between urban and rural voters on party lines.

NC had only 8 seats in 2002 out of 15 while 4 were bagged by PDP and 3 by independents in 2002 elections as urban voters voted for NC in Srinagar city giving it 8 seats.

"Omar has first to integrate the state and end these divides created by the politicians during Amarnath land row. J and K is highly polarised today," head of department of school of management science, Jammu university, Dr Keshiv Sharma said. Omar has to take along all the three regions, end regional discrimination in Jammu and Ladakh and face a strong opposition of BJP and PDP”, Dr Sharma said.

"Omar has challenges not only on the political front in terms of addressing separatists but also to ensure people-to-people contact to make the state socially cohesive and ensure economic upliftment and development on economic front," Prof Mattoo said.

"We have high hopes of Omar. He is one among us and thinks like generation-X. The buzzword for him should be end era of unemployment. He should undertake massive multi-sector infrastructure development inorder order take Jammu and Kashmir out of the web of militancy and uncertainty," Jammu university MBA student, Vimal Choudary said.