Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday suggested that the Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Alliance would refrain from fielding candidates against the National Conference in the three Valley seats.
Mehbooba did not react to Omar’s claims but some PDP leaders cautioned NC vice-president Omar against acting as the spokesman for the PDP.
“We were together on the stage during the recent INDIA meet (in New Delhi). What is the need of raising such questions (of division of votes between Valley parties which might help BJP)? Nobody is trying to break the alliance,” Omar told reporters in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district after a public rally.
“We don’t see any indication (of vote division). Why are you (reporters) pitting us against the PDP? Did the PDP say anywhere they are contesting elections? You are fanning this issue. I heard Mehboobaji’s speech at Delhi two days earlier where she said
Farooq (Abdullah) sahab and we are together and that we will not break the INDIA bloc. Why are you making us fight each other?”
The remarks triggered an angry response from some PDP leaders, although its top leadership was silent.
“The @JKNC_unilaterally takes on the role of spokesperson for INDIA, much like it did with PAGD before. Now, it’s extending its reach to @jkpdp as well,” PDP leader Firdous Tak posted on X. “@OmarAbdullah sahib has numerous other responsibilities, instead of serving as a mouthpiece 4 (for) organizations he isn’t affiliated with.”
PAGD or Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration is a multi-party forum fighting for the restoration of Article 370.
Omar on Monday announced top Gujjar leader Mian Altaf as his party’s nominee for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat from where Mehbooba wanted to contest as an INDIA candidate.
Omar claimed they had no seat-sharing agreement with the PDP and the party had
decided to contest all three Valley seats based on the formula worked out in the 2022 District Development Council election where the party holding the seat alone was entitled to contest.
He said his party won all three seats in the 2019 general election and chose to contest them this time as well.
Omar rebuffed reports that the NC was contesting three seats in Kashmir over pressure from Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids.
“For the DDC polls, we took the 2014 Assembly election results and wherever the PDP had won, they contested the DDC polls and wherever the NC had won, we got the opportunity. PC (Peoples Conference) was also with us then and they chose their candidate where they had won. We used the same formula here as well. Where does the ED come in this?” he said.
