National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday said BJP leader Ram Madhav has been sent by his party to Jammu and Kashmir possibly to restitch an alliance with the Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party, sparking a face-off between the two sides.

Omar latched onto former governor Satya Pal Malik’s claim that the BJP was anticipating a big defeat in Jammu and Kashmir and had sent Madhav to forge an alliance with the old ally.

RSS poster boy Madhav had played a key role in the 2015 alliance between the two parties, which collapsed after the BJP withdrew its support to the Mehbooba-led government.

His stocks fell during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term and the government sidelined him. But the BJP’s lacklustre performance in the last Lok Sabha elections strengthened his position, prompting the party to appoint him as an election in-charge in the Union Territory, along with central minister Krishna Reddy.

Malik, who has parted ways with the BJP and emerged as one of its biggest critics, claimed on Sunday that Madhav could play a role in government formation after the Assembly elections in September-October.

“Ram Madhav has been sent to seek the support of Mehbooba,” he said in Delhi.

The BJP is in a crisis after facing protests over ticket distribution, “ignoring” veterans in favour of defectors from other parties.

Omar said there were no two opinions that the PDP was the only party with which Madhav had good relations. “Ram Madhav was responsible for bringing the PDP and the BJP on one platform. He brokered the alliance. Perhaps he has been brought back for this purpose,” he said.

The former chief minister said Malik had close ties with the BJP and was sent by the party as the Jammu and Kashmir governor. It was during his tenure that Article 370 was abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was split up into two Union Territories.

Mehbooba hit back saying Omar was a minister in the BJP-led government at
the Centre.

“It is they (NC) who brought Pota (Prevention of Terrorist Act) to this place and banned shahtoosh (shawls). They advocated an attack on Pakistan. When we joined hands with the BJP, we did it on certain conditions. We withdrew FIRs on 12,000 people. We brought a delegation from Delhi to talk to the Hurriyat,” she said.

Of late, the NC has also faced allegations that it
had a secret understanding with the BJP.

Omar also hit out at separatists for joining the fray, saying they were the same people who trained guns on the National Conference for participating in elections. Separatist Jamaat-e-Islami, known for close links with the BJP, has fielded candidates. A
Hurriyat leader joined the PDP on Sunday.

“Ideologies change. Elections have come and they are ready to fight. Until now, they raised slogans of boycott….We have been proven right. Before 1990, we said there would be bloodshed (with guns), the situation would worsen and graveyards would be filled but nothing would change.