ASSEMBLY POLL 2024: Omar to contest from Budgam seat too
A day after filing nomination from the Ganderbal seat, former Chief Minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Thursday entered the poll contest from the Budgam constituency also.
Omar had on Wednesday filed his nomination papers from the Ganderbal Assembly seat, which is the family bastion of the Abdullahs. In a surprise move, Omar travelled to Budgam on Thursday where he submitted his nomination form.
The two seats will go to the polls in the second phase of elections. The senior NC leader had faced a shock defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla. Jailed leader Engineer Rashid had won with a margin of over two lakh votes from the seat.
Claiming that contesting from two seats did not reflect “weakness”, Omar said there was a wave in favour of the National Conference in J&K.
“My contesting from two seats is not a sign of weakness, but strength. It is the proof of the NC’s strength. If there was any danger of my losing from Budgam, then my party colleagues would not have allowed me to contest from here…whether it is Baramulla, Srinagar or Anantnag, there is a wave in favour of the NC,” he said, while talking to reporters.
Omar hoped the NC and alliance candidates would win in the elections.
On a question about Ram Madhav’s remark that “former militants were campaigning for the NC and PDP”, Omar demanded proof from the BJP leader.
“Even as we know who are the Independents being fielded in the election, and who will benefit from their fighting, I think it is a bit rich of Ram Madhav to say that the NC is taking benefit from former militants. Show us where?,” he said.
“The campaign has just started. I am sure he has access to all intelligence reports. There is not a single function of ours that is not monitored by the IB, CID and other agencies. All videos are there, please show us where we are taking support from militants or surrendered militants.”
The NC vice-president said he was under the impression that as a result of what New Delhi did in August 2019 (abrogation of Article 370), “these people were rendered neutral, that they had no more say”.
“But, clearly Madhav is suggesting these people actually hold power over what the voters will decide. Which then would suggest that everything they have done after August 5, 2019, has been for nothing,” he said.
On a question about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark that contracts were given to outsiders earlier, Omar said, “We have already said it in our manifesto that through the Assembly we will tell the world that people are not in favour of the decisions that have been taken here.”
“There will be an investigation into the era of mis-governance in the past five-six years...allegations of corruption, and allegations made by senior IAS officials. There will be an investigation into all those and if any discrepancy is found, then they will be held accountable.”
Asked about Congress’ district president in Ganderbal announcing to contest against him, Omar said a party could not make all people happy during the elections.
“The dissensions in the party are less than what we expected,” he said.
