Anantnag, Apr 21: Former chief minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the People’s Conference (PC) President Sajad Lone cannot compete with him and is depending on Apni Party Chief Altaf Bukhari or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “rescue” him in the North Kashmir parliamentary seat.
He made these remarks while addressing the media on the sidelines of a party gathering in Bijhbera in south Kashmir. The party is conducting an election campaign to bolster its candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency.
Omar said, “People are witness to it, especially after the 2014 results, whenever we encountered adverse situations and extended the hand of friendship (potentially to PDP), but it was repeatedly rejected, whether in 2015, 2016, 2018, or 2024. We didn’t join the INDIA bloc out of greed for seats, and similarly, we didn’t establish the PAGP solely for that purpose.”
He said that in alliances, seat distribution follows a formula. For the DDC, we used the 2014 assembly elections as the basis for seat allocation. Similarly, the NC nominated candidates based on the 2019 parliamentary elections. On the three seats where the NC lost, they allowed the INDIA bloc to decide. The decision was made accordingly, which is reasonable,” he said.
Responding to a question that the BJP says they didn’t nominate their candidates as per strategy, the NC leader said, “BJP is strategically contesting through its B and C teams, often holding meetings with them. When Tarun Chugh comes from Delhi and meets with people’s conference leaders, it implies they’re contesting through the BJP. Even when the Home Minister targets anyone, it’s either the INDIA bloc or the National Conference. They’re actively working to defeat the NC.”
“Those who once called me a ‘tourist’ are now seeking support. If I’m just a tourist and unable to win in North Kashmir, why is Sajad Lone Sahab begging for votes? His claims about vote share are deceptive; it’s clear his ground has shifted. He can’t compete with me on his own merit; now he’s relying on Altaf Bukhari Sahab or the BJP to save him,” Omar said.
In response to Democratic Progressive Azad Party Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad’s query about delimitation being irrelevant to the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary seat, Omar expressed regret, saying, “We wish he had voiced this concern earlier.” He noted Azad’s connections with government commissions and suggested he could have utilised them to safeguard these seats.
The former CM also expressed confusion about the rationale behind the creation of the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency, saying, “We fail to understand what their intentions were.” Nonetheless, he urged to move forward, acknowledging the uncertainty of how long people will endure the consequences of this convoluted constituency.
