DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
Srinagar, Sept 6
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of trying to undermine his electoral campaign in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections by fielding many independent candidates against him.
Speaking at election rallies in the Ganderbal Assembly segment, where he is contesting, Abdullah expressed his concerns, stating, “I always knew that Delhi would want to silence me in some way, but I never thought they would go to this extent.”
Abdullah, former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, referred to a previous electoral experience during the Baramulla Lok Sabha elections, where an independent candidate, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, campaigned from jail and ultimately defeated him.
“He recorded his message from jail and sought votes based on emotions. He defeated me in the elections,” he noted.
Despite these challenges, Abdullah emphasised that he did not view the situation as particularly alarming.
He said after the results of Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, he thought luck was on Rashid’s side and it was his “bad luck”.
“But when I decided to contest (assembly) polls from Ganderbal, reports started pouring in that another citizen (Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati) who is in jail is going to contest against me. I was forced to think why these people are put only after me. Is there a conspiracy?’ he asked.
Abdullah said he could understand Rashid contesting the Lok Sabha polls against him as he was a local from the constituency.
“When they could not find a local (Ganderbal) person in jail, they brought one (Barkati) from Zainapora-Shopian. I still thought maybe it was a coincidence. I consulted a few of my colleagues and told them that I want to prove that it is a conspiracy from Delhi against me,” he said.
Abdullah said his team collected nomination papers from a couple of constituencies without revealing where they will file the papers from.
“We collected forms and decided to take a call in the morning where to contest from (for second seat). Yesterday, it was proved that it is not a coincidence. Otherwise tell me, this person files papers from Ganderbal and then he collects papers from Beerwah, thinking that I was an MLA from there and would contest from there only. However, when I filed papers from Budgam in the afternoon, they were caught out,” he said.
The NC vice-president claimed this incident showed that Delhi was not trying to silence any politician in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Kashmir, as much as they are trying to do it with him.
Abdullah said when he fights against Delhi, it is not only for himself or his family but for all of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The BJP does not like this, which is why conspiracy after conspiracy is being hatched against me. But this conspiracy has succeeded only once. This time I have full faith in the people of Ganderbal that they will vote wisely,” he added.
Asked about the significance of the upcoming assembly elections in the union territory, the former chief minister told reporters that these elections hold importance for everyone.
He said the polls are significant as they would be held after 10 years and also mark the first after more than six years of central rule in the union territory.
“They (assembly elections) are also coming after everything that was done to us on the August 5, 2019. So, in no way can one underplay the importance of these elections,” he added.
As the election season heats up in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah’s remarks reflect the ongoing political tensions in the region, where the National Conference continues to assert its influence amidst a complex political landscape.
