'Don't see elections happening in J&K; we are not begging either': Omar Abdullah

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah has said that BJP does not want to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the BJP does not have the courage to face the people and that is why the assembly elections are being delayed.

Anantnag (J&K):Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Vice President of National Conference Omar Abdullah Tuesday said that assembly elections are nowhere in sight in Jammu and Kashmir because the BJP-led central government has not given the "green signal" to the Election Commission.

Speaking to the media in Anantnag, Omar said the Election Commission was working "on the signals of the central government" and since the BJP did not have the "courage" to face the people, the polls were not being conducted in the Union Territory.

He said that BJP is interested in Parliament and Panchayat elections but does not want Assembly elections, adding that political leaders will not beg for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Asked why political parties do not come to the streets and demand early elections, Omar Abdullah said: "If people are facing problems, why aren't they hitting the streets? You won't get elections by coming to the streets."

On Monday, Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah said in a press conference in Jammu that he does not care about the elections. "We will do it when we have to," Farooq said. He said that National Conference will participate in the panchayat and DDC elections but "we will not beg anyone to hold assembly elections".

It should be noted that a statement came out recently from the Chief Electoral Officer in which he said that the Panchayat, Urban Local Bodies, and Lok Sabha elections are scheduled in Jammu and Kashmir during the current financial year while Assembly elections are due. Earlier the Chief Election Commissioner of India had admitted that due to the absence of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, a vacuum had been created and it needed to be filled.