National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday said “the BJP’s bravado to have its own Chief Minister from Jammu has fallen flat in J&K”.
“The BJP’s attempts fell flat twice, first by stitching alliance with the 28-member PDP in 2015, and later while unsuccessfully attempting to form the government by surrendering before a party with two MLAs from north Kashmir,” said the former Chief Minister, who held a meeting of the party’s district and block presidents in Jammu.
“I dare the BJP to declare its chief ministerial candidate for J&K ahead of the Assembly elections,” he added.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, Mr. Abdullah said the BJP threatened senior MLAs with NIA and CBI action in a bid to buy their support before dissolution of the Assembly in J&K.
He demanded that the Assembly polls be held before or along with the Lok Sabha polls in 2019. “The BJP is rattled over its imminent defeat. How can the situation be conducive for holding the urban local bodies and panchayat polls and not for Assembly polls?” he asked.
Blowing the poll bugle after deciding to stay away from the urban local bodies and panchayat polls this year, Mr. Abdullah said, “A single-party government alone can meet the challenges confronting the State. The process for selection of candidates has begun and the NC will plunge into the elections with a two-pronged strategy. First, to expose the PDP-BJP government’s failure on all fronts, and second, to spell out the priorities of the party in heralding peace and ensuring fast-track development.”