Srinagar: National Conference (NC) vice-president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday emphasised that the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections are a crucial opportunity to bring global attention to the decisions made against the region in the last five years. Abdullah, who is contesting from two constituencies, stated that his party, along with its alliance partner Congress, is well-positioned to secure a victory in the ensuing elections.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination in Budgam, Omar noted that his candidacy from two constituencies, including Budgam and Ganderbal, was a testament to the strength of the NC. He asserted that the party's decision to have him contest these seats was not made lightly.
"This contest from Budgam demonstrates the power of the National Conference. If there had been any doubt about our position here, my colleagues would not have asked me to contest this seat," he said. He further highlighted that NC is a dominant force across the region, including key constituencies like Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag.
Omar, who filed his nomination from Ganderbal a day earlier, expressed confidence that the NC-Congress alliance would emerge victorious across Jammu and Kashmir. "There is a wave of NC across every nook and corner of Jammu & Ka," he said, noting that the partnership with Congress would strengthen their chances of success in the upcoming elections.
On the party’s manifesto, Omar reiterated NC's commitment to creating awareness about the actions taken by the Central government against Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. He pointed out that the Assembly would serve as a platform to inform the global community about how the people of Jammu and Kashmir were deprived of their rights during this period. "Our manifesto is clear--we will take the message to the outside world about the decisions made against Jammu & Kashmir over the last five years--he said.
He vowed that an NC-led government would investigate issues of mismanagement and corruption that he claims have plagued Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. "The misgovernance, corruption and other irregularities that occurred in the last five to six years will be scrutinised under our government," Abdullah said.
Addressing the impact of delimitation, which reorganised electoral constituencies, Omar acknowledged that the changes favoured the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, he expressed optimism about his party’s chances, noting that the NC had won two seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections despite no boycott. "There was talk that NC only wins when there is a boycott, but in the last Lok Sabha polls, people voted in large numbers, and we still secured two seats," he said.
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senior leader Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura criticised Omar for contesting from two constituencies, suggesting that it reflects a lack of confidence in his political support. "If Omar Abdullah truly believed that he had the people's support, he wouldn't feel the need to contest from two different seats," Hanjura said after filing his nomination for the Charar-i-Sharief seat. He added that his victory in 2014 was largely due to the efforts of his party workers and expressed confidence in securing a win with an even greater margin in the upcoming elections.
The Assembly elections are set to take place later this month, and all eyes are on how the key political players, including the NC, Congress, PDP, and BJP, will fare in the newly reorganised constituencies.
Read more: J&K Assembly Polls: Mendhar Seat To Witness Triangular Contest Among NC, PDP And BJP Candidates
