Omar Abdullah's prediction for J&K polls: 'Smaller parties propped up by BJP will...'

NC has set the benchmark in terms of manifesto, road map, and agenda, says Omar Abdullah

Calling the electoral landscape in J&K a “mixed bag” ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, National Conference (NC) vice president, Omar Abdullah, said smaller elements will play a role on fringes.

“In Kashmir, it will probably be the PDP, and in Jammu the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party]. In a handful of seats, some odd independents or smaller parties will play a part. For all of Delhi’s attempts to cleanse the political landscape of mainstream parties or the so-called dynastic parties by propping up all sorts of parties and individuals here, ultimately J&K’s politics will go back to NC, Congress, PDP, and BJP. Smaller elements will play a role on fringes,” he told Hindustan Times.

J&K’s voting for its 90-member assembly will be held in three phases. While the first phase of voting is scheduled for September 18, the other two rounds will be held on September 25 and October 5. The votes will be counted on October 8.

According to him, the NC has set the benchmark in terms of manifesto, road map, and agenda. Speaking about the Congress-NC alliance, he said it was not the easiest thing for both parties.   “We had to give them seats where we were reasonably well-placed. The same is true for them as well. The last time the NC-Congress had a pre-assembly poll pact was in 1987. This [2024] election is also unique in recent times because the banned Jamaat-e-Islami [J&K] is openly backing and campaigning for independent candidates owing allegiance to it. This is a huge change from previous elections,” the NC leader told HT.

Speaking if the Jamaat factor is impacting the electoral arithmetic of mainstream parties, Abdullah said the Jamaat vote traditionally has never come to NC. “Despite their poll-boycott stance, wherever the Jamaat has covertly played a political part in the last three decades, its supporters have gone to parties like the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Now, with Jamaat fielding its nominees, it will dent the PDP in a number of seats where Jamaat is the deciding factor, particularly in South Kashmir,” said Abdullah.

Terming Article 370 “not a major issue” in the upcoming polls, he said “in an immediate sense, our fight is to get back our statehood undiluted”. “That is the primary concern for the people today. What was done with regard to [Constitution]’s Articles 370 and 35-A was an insult. But, an insult to the injury was heaped by reducing J&K to a Union Territory. All this was without any explanation whatsoever and with no benefit coming out of this,” he said.

On being asked if by making promises about J&K’s now-nullified special status, the NC is giving people false hope, Abdullah said what happened was at the behest of the government and judgement of the Supreme Court.  “Those things are subject to change. They are not the word of God. In the future, there may be a government at the Centre willing to discuss our demand for autonomy. Tomorrow there could be a full bench of SC to adjudicate differently. We want to keep this issue alive in the hope that in the future, circumstances may change and allow us to revisit it,” he told HT.