People bearing brunt of PDP’s past choices, says Omar

Pulwama, Sept 15: National Conference (NC) vice president and former chief minister, Omar Abdullah on Sunday lashed out at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for its political decisions, claiming that the people of the region are suffering because of the party’s past choices.
Addressing his party supporters during a rally held in Qasbayar village of Rajpora Constituency in Pulwama, Abdullah criticised the PDP for aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the 2014 elections, “despite offers” from the National Conference to form a coalition to keep the BJP out of power in Jammu & Kashmir.
“I came to know through news reports after the 2014 elections that late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was considering forming a coalition government with the BJP,” he said, “We sent a message to him, offering NC’s support to make him the chief minister without asking for ministries or Rajya Sabha seats. Our only request was to keep the BJP away.”
He added that the PDP chose to reject the NC’s offer and invited the BJP to form a government in 2015, despite having no compulsion to do so.
Omar said the NC was ready to support the PDP again in 2016 after the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, but Mehbooba Mufti also chose to continue the alliance with the BJP.
“Mehbooba Mufti was given another chance to avoid the same mistake, but she again chose to align with the BJP,” he said, adding, “People have to bear the brunt because of PDP’s association with BJP.”
Referring to PDP’s promises during the 2014 election, the former CM claimed that the party campaigned on the assurance that it would stop the BJP from gaining influence in Kashmir. However, he said, after the elections, 28 seats from Kashmir were given to the BJP’s influence.
The NC leader went on to criticise the PDP’s ambitions of being “kingmakers” in future elections, warning that it is unlikely they will avoid repeating their past mistakes.