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BJP ‘scared’ of holding polls in Jammu and Kashmir, says Omar
Omar claimed that if assembly elections are held, the BJP will face “worst defeat” in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday challenged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir along with the next year’s Lok Sabha polls.
Omar claimed that if assembly elections are held, the BJP will face “worst defeat” in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions. “If BJP would have been strong enough to win the assembly elections, then they would have conducted polls in J&K long back,” Omar told media persons.
He said that the BJP is “afraid” of assembly elections. “If they (BJP) have courage then the assembly elections in J&K should be held along with Parliament elections. They have to hold Parliamentary elections and if these polls can be held in J&K why not assembly elections.”
From past several days, Omar has made back-to-back statements on elections and even blamed Election Commission of India for not holding assembly polls in the Union Territory. Omar even said that he won’t “beg” for assembly polls despite it being the right of people.
Reacting on the Omar’s remarks, senior BJP leader and vice-chairperson J&K Waqf Board Darakhshan Andrabi said that the former CM should wait for the assembly elections.
However, Omar said why should political parties wait for assembly elections in J&K.” I know her (Darakhshan) and she should think before speaking anything. The reality is that they (BJP leaders) know they will face defeat in elections. You can hold panchayat polls, Urban Local Bodies elections, DDC elections and now parliament elections but why not the assembly elections everybody is astonished over this,” he said.
Omar said that many people are heading institutions without facing elections. “They fear to face assembly elections. Many people have got power without facing elections. This is our irony, that people are ruling us without elections. Let elections happen you can’t even trace their address.”
Even former J&K chief minister and head of Democratic Progressive Azad Party, Ghulam Nabi Azad supported views of Omar on assembly polls. “Elections are not being held in J&K for six years and not a single party is questioning it. So, what Omar Abdullah is saying is correct. I have the same complaint with the other political parties. When it comes to them, they speak of unity and when elections are not held here for six to seven years, not even a single party raises its voice...” Azad told a news agency.
The last assembly elections in J&K were held in 2014 and assembly couldn’t complete its term and then J&K came under governor’s rule after BJP withdrew its support from PDP-BJP coalition government in 2018. After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Union home minister Amit Shah had promised assembly polls after completion of delimitation exercise, however still assembly elections are not in sight as government is now planning to hold panchayat and urban local bodies polls by the end of this year in the UT.
