Srinagar: National Conference (NC) Vice President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday hinted that he may be participating in the upcoming assembly elections. Omar said he is currently consulting with party leaders about his potential candidacy, and the public will be informed once the list of candidates is finalised.
Speaking to reporters following a joint press conference of NC and Indian National Congress (INC) leaders, Omar said that he is discussing the matter with his colleagues. Notably, Omar, in the past, had vowed not to participate in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections till the restoration of statehood.
“I have realized the impact of my decision on how people vote and how my colleagues campaign for an assembly that I might undermine by not contesting, which was a mistake on my part,” Omar said.
However, he emphasized that he does not want to send a "wrong signal" to the public and has therefore asked for some time to make a final decision. “My participation in the polls will be confirmed once the list of candidates is published,” he added. When questioned about discussions on the party’s manifesto by Congress leaders, Omar clarified that no conversations had taken place.
“Let me be clear, at no point did the Congress party raise objections to our manifesto. During initial local-level discussions, they inquired whether we would consider a common minimum program. We made it clear that such a program is only developed after receiving the people’s mandate,” Omar said.
He further stated, “We are contesting this election to win, and if NC and Congress gain the people’s support, we will create a common minimum program for governance for the next five years. However, we did not discuss our manifesto with Congress nor ask them about theirs.”
Responding to a question about statements from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Omar remarked that such comments were anticipated. “BJP should focus on their own issues first. For the first time, BJP retracted its candidate list within ten minutes. Their office situation is different; people even broke chairs. They should look into their own affairs,” Omar said.
Regarding the exclusion of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the alliance, Abdullah noted that Congress, as the main party in the INDIA bloc, chose to meet with NC and form an alliance. “I am nobody to force Congress into an alliance with some other party. Congress did not bring up the party, and the matter was closed,” Omar concluded.
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