Srinagar, Sep 5: Former Chief Minister and vice president of the National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, today said that the wind is blowing in the party favour and predicted that the NC, together with its alliance partners, will emerge victorious in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Omar told reporters after filing his nomination papers for the Budgam Assembly constituency today that contesting from two seats speaks of the strength of the party.
“My decision to contest from two seats is not a sign of weakness but rather a demonstration of strength from the NC. If there was any real danger of losing, my fellow leaders would not have allowed me to contest here. Their support is proof that, whether it is Baramulla, Srinagar or Anantnag, the wind is blowing in favour of the National Conference,” he said.
Omar hoped when the votes are counted, the NC will emerge victorious along with their alliance partners.
The NC leader hoped higher voter turnout will dispel the myth as it did during Parliament elections that NC wins only amid election boycott. “We hope for higher voter participation to dispel the myth that the NC wins only amid boycotts. There was no boycott in the Parliamentary elections, and we won two out of three seats. There will be no boycott this time, and the NC will emerge victorious,” he said.
“The ground is in our favour, but we are not making unrealistic claims like others who boast about winning 400-plus seats but stop at just 240. I am confident that when the votes are counted, the NC, along with its alliance partners, will emerge victorious,” he said.
The NC leader said decisions made since 2019 would be addressed through the Assembly, showing the world that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not in favour of these actions.
“As for the era of misgovernance over the past five years and allegations of corruption from senior officials, all will be thoroughly investigated. If any wrongdoing or fraud against the people is uncovered, it will be dealt with accordingly,” he said.
When asked about alliance members running as Independents, he acknowledged it was expected, since it is impossible to satisfy every party member during elections. “I am content that the level of dissent is lower than expected. Those who initially wanted to contest from our party are now working on the ground for the success of both the party and the alliance. However, I understand that some have chosen self-interest, but ultimately, the voters will decide,” he said.
Omar said that this election would be different as constituency maps have been redrawn. “While Kashmir may see minimal impact, Jammu is feeling the effects. Some constituencies, previously Muslim-majority, have been altered to favour the BJP,” he said.
On the BJP’s claim that criticizing the awarding of contracts to outsiders is anti-India, he said: “Outsiders should not be awarded contracts, as this practice does not happen in other States. Show me a single contract given to outsiders in Ladakh. Although Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir were made Union Territories through the same order, different laws apply. In Ladakh, outsiders cannot buy land or take contracts, but that is not the case in Jammu and Kashmir. The water and resources belong to us,” he said.
