J&K Polls: Omar Abdullah Files Nominations From Two Seats, Counters Ram Madhav’s Allegations

J&K Election 2024: In a surprising turn of events, National Conference (NC) Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has filed his nomination papers from two constituencies for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. After an unexpected defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, Omar appears uncertain about his chances in the assembly polls. Previously, he had stated he would not contest assembly elections until statehood was restored. Nonetheless, Abdullah has now submitted his papers for the Ganderbal and Budgam constituencies.

In response to BJP leader Ram Madhav's allegations that the NC and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are allegedly seeking support from militants and ex-terrorists for the elections, Omar Abdullah has demanded solid evidence to support these claims.

Abdullah stated, “It’s quite ironic for Ram Madhav to say that the NC is benefiting from ex-terrorists. Given that we know who these independents are and who will benefit from their participation, I urge him to show us where we are supposedly taking support from terrorists.” He emphasized that the campaign has only just begun and expressed confidence that Madhav has access to intelligence reports that could clarify the matter.

Commenting on the broader implications of Madhav's accusations, Abdullah remarked, “I was under the impression that what Delhi did had rendered these individuals neutral and that they no longer held any influence. If Ram Madhav suggests these people still hold sway over voters, it implies that whatever actions were taken post-2019 have achieved nothing.”

Regarding his decision to contest from two seats, Abdullah rejected the notion that it reflected any insecurity. “Our workers requested that we fight from Budgam as well. After the Baramulla election, my colleagues wanted to demonstrate that we are contesting from a position of strength. Contesting two seats is not a sign of weakness but rather a show of power.”

In response to the Congress party's recently released chargesheet, Abdullah commented, “We will use the assembly platform to express our disagreement with the decisions made in J&K. All allegations of corruption will be thoroughly investigated.”

Abdullah also addressed expected changes in voter participation due to constituency redistricting. “This election will be different. Some Muslim-majority constituencies have been redrawn to favor the BJP, but we expect significant public participation. It was suggested that NC’s past wins were due to a boycott, but since there was no boycott in the parliamentary elections, we won 2 out of 3 seats.”

Finally, Omar Abdullah criticized the awarding of contracts to non-locals in J&K, countering the BJP’s narrative on the issue. “Show me where any non-local gets a contract in Ladakh. There are no outsiders who can buy land or win contracts there, so why is it different for J&K? We have a right to our own resources.”