Srinagar, Oct 13: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the upcoming Rajya Sabha election will clearly reveal which political parties and legislators stand with the BJP and who are genuinely in the opposition.
Speaking to reporters, Omar said the National Conference had initially set aside one seat for Congress but the party backed out. “We had kept one seat for Congress. They decided not to field a candidate. We believed Congress had the best chance to win that fourth seat, but they felt otherwise,” he said.
He added that the NC will now contest all four seats on its own. “We will field four candidates and this election will be a true test of who is with the BJP and who is against the BJP,” he said.
Omar said that any MLA who abstains or sides with the BJP will be exposed publicly. “BJP has 28 MLAs. Anyone who abstains or votes in favour of the BJP will be known to the people and People will see who the BJP’s real friends are and who its opponents are,” he added.
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Responding to BJP’s claim that Farooq Abdullah was denied a mandate, Omar dismissed it. “Who says Dr. Farooq was not given the mandate? He himself decided to step back. Does anyone have the courage to say he wanted to contest and was stopped by the party?” he said.
He also said that Farooq Abdullah will not contest the Badgam Assembly seat either. “If someone is not willing to contest a Rajya Sabha seat, they will not take on the strain of an assembly campaign,” he said.
Calling him the tallest leader of J&K, Omar said that Dr. Farooq is the guiding light of the National Conference and his role will remain important wherever he is.
He also hit out at the BJP’s claim of winning three Rajya Sabha seats. “BJP cannot win even one seat without horse trading. They need 30 votes to win the fourth seat, and they have only 28. No MLA outside those 28 has supported them in the last year,” Omar said as per KNS.
He alleged that any such claim by the BJP would only be possible through “money power, muscle power and agencies.”
Taking a dig at the party, he said said that if they want to win by buying or threatening MLAs, then they will prove what people are saying in Bihar is right.
On the Budgam bypoll, Omar said that no election is straightforward. “NC will put its best foot forward in Budgam and we will rely on the wisdom of the voters,” he added.(KNS)
