National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah takes a sharp swipe at regional party PDP, saying 'It is unfortunate that my party is competing against a friend-turned-foe, driven by greed for the Lok Sabha seat.' Clearly, he's referring to PDP President Mehbooba Mufti's candidature from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency in South Kashmir. The NC has fielded senior leader Mian Altaf for this seat.
Addressing the media, Omar Abdullah said, 'The fight in the South Kashmir Anantnag-Rajouri seat is not with the BJP. Here, unfortunately, we are up against a former ally who has recently parted ways out of seat greed. Thankfully, our contest is not with BJP or its auxiliary teams.'
BJP is not tackling the elections directly in the valley: Omar
While both parties have positioned their candidates for the three Lok Sabha seats across the Kashmir valley, the PDP has accused NC of leaving them no choice. Responding, Abdullah retorted that the PDP is retracting from a consensus formed within PAGD components for the 2020 District Development Council elections. On Saturday, Abdullah mentioned that the BJP is not contending directly in the parliamentary elections; rather, it is supporting its own outfits and other parties such as the People's Conference.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister is hopeful that the National Conference will clinch all three valley seats, considering the public's response. Counter to BJP's claims of a massive win, Abdullah says, 'The results will clarify everything.' He also hinted at BJP's shaky hold on the Ladakh seat and anticipates uncertainties regarding BJP's prospects in the Udhampur constituency.
BJP's Udhampur seat may be in jeopardy: Omar
Omar Abdullah also commented on BJP Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina's claim that BJP would win both parliamentary seats in the Jammu region. Abdullah reminds him that the Jammu seat hasn't even gone to polls yet and that it's unwise to declare victory pre-emptively. 'Let's first see the turnout there. For now, it seems BJP's grip on the Udhampur seat is slipping,' he claims. Currently, BJP's Jitendra Singh is aiming for a hat-trick on the Udhampur seat, where the first phase of voting has concluded on April 19.
Congress has fielded Chaudhary Lal Singh from Udhampur, while Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Azad Party has backed GM Saroori. Omar Abdullah criticizes BJP for its tall claims in Kashmir yet not contesting elections. 'Ravinder Raina was gearing up to run for the South Kashmir seat. Why did he back out? What compelled him to promote other parties, whether it's the cricket bat (their own party) or the apple (People's Conference), these are the parties working for BJP,' he elaborated.
