‘Boycotting 2018 J&K panchayat polls was a BIG MISTAKE’: Farooq Abdullah

SRINAGAR: National Conference founder Farooq Abdullah, in his first public rally after getting re-elected party president, has admitted that it was a big mistake not contesting the panchayat and ULB polls in 2019 and said that “his party will fight now all the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir.” Dr Farooq Abdullah, who had earlier wished to step down as party president last month, was re-elected unopposed as National Conference president on Monday for the next three years. The party president polls of NC were held today on the 117th Birth anniversary of party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah.

Farooq Abdullah, while addressing the national conference workers and leaders said, “decision of not contesting the Panchayat and ULB polls in 2019 was a big mistake and now onwards his party will contest all the upcoming polls in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Farooq Abdullah asked his son Omer Abdullah to reconsider his decision of not contesting the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, he said "I as President of the party ask Omer to contest the upcoming assembly elections in J&K". Farooq Abdullah, while referring to the earlier polls in Jammu and Kashmir, alleged interference of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir polls warn security forces, army, and administration not to interfere the poll process in Jammu and Kashmir and said if any sort of rigging took place here during polls, he will launch agitation against it.

Lashing out at the BJP, senior Abdullah said, “BJP is buying MLAs and MPs across the country, and I warn people of Jammu and Kashmir that such efforts will be done here as well, and you people have to remain conscious and fail those efforts".

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omer Abdullah while congratulating his father for being re-elected as party president said, "we have a very difficult fight ahead, it's not only BJP and it's ABC teams but the administration is also playing on their side". Omer Abdullah said where BJP finds our leadership strong, they use administration to withdraw the security of our leaders to weaken them.”

While speaking about the abrogation of Article 370 Omer Abdullah said "his party isn't keeping people in dark and our position is very clear, we will fight for the restoration of Article 370 legally and constitutionally and not resort to Violence" he said and added that they will win this battle.