Engineer Rashid claims Omar, Sajad Lone ganged up to defeat Awami Ittehad Party

Lok Sabha MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid on Monday alleged that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone had ganged up in a bid to defeat his Awami Ittehad Party candidates.

The maverick politician, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, defeated both Abdullah and Lone in the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla earlier this year.

“Just a few days ago, Omar sahib was branding everyone, including Sajad Lone and Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party, as the BJP’s B teams. I have irrefutable evidence that Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone have ganged up to defeat Engineer Rashid in north Kashmir and elsewhere. Can Omar Abdullah now tell us which is the BJP’s B team?” Rashid told PTI.

He also claimed the Farooq Abdullah-led party’s silence over BJP leader Tarun Chugh’s claims against National Conference leaders lent credence to his claim.

“Tarun Chugh openly told Farooq Abdullah that if they revealed who all meet BJP leaders in secret, the political careers of many would be over. Why have they (National Conference leaders) not said anything about it?” the Awami Ittehad Party chief asked.

Rashid also asked Omar Abdullah why he accepted support from the leader of a party he had vilified as the BJP’s B team.

“Muntazir Mohiuddin of the Apni Party extended support to Omar Abdullah in Budgam. According to Omar Abdullah, the same Apni Party was the BJP’s B team. How did he accept the support?” the firebrand politician said and added that all regional outfits had come together to pull down his party in the assembly elections.

The three-phase polls to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly are currently under way. Voting for the second and third phases to be held on Wednesday and October 1, respectively.

The results will be declared on October 8.