4‘Cong had best chance on 4th seat’
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Oct 13: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot win even a single Rajya Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir without resorting to “horse trading” and “muscle power.”
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“BJP cannot win three Rajya Sabha seats without horse trading. In fact, they cannot even win one seat without it. They need 30 votes to win the fourth seat, and they have only 28. There is not a single MLA, other than those 28, who has shown any support to the BJP in the last one year,” the Chief Minister told reporters here.
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Omar said the Rajya Sabha election would be a “true test” to determine who stands with the BJP and who stands against it.
“Anybody who abstains or votes in favour of the BJP – it will be known to people who the true friends of the BJP are and who the opponents are,” he said.
On seat sharing with the Congress, the Chief Minister said there were no last-minute changes and one seat had been reserved for the alliance partner.
“They decided not to field their candidate. We felt the Congress had the best chance of winning that seat, but they felt otherwise. So be it – we will field four candidates,” he said.
Reacting to the BJP’s claims that it would win all three Rajya Sabha seats, Omar said that it would only be possible through “money power, muscle power, and the power of the agencies.”
“Let’s see. If they want to win the election by intimidation and money, then they will prove what people are saying in Bihar is right. Otherwise, as the numbers stand today, the BJP is not in a position to win even one seat,” he said.
He reiterated that the Rajya Sabha elections would reveal “who the friends and opponents of the BJP are.”
“Anyone who abstains is a friend of the BJP – and obviously, anyone who votes for them. Because in three out of the four seats, there are candidates against the BJP. Let’s see what people do,” he added.
On the upcoming by-elections for the Budgam and Nagrota Assembly constituencies, Abdullah said every election is a test.
“No election is straightforward. Nagrota is not straightforward for the BJP, and no by-election is easy for any political party. The NC will put its best foot forward in Budgam, and we will rely on the wisdom of the voters there,” he said.
Asked about NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah not contesting the Rajya Sabha elections, Omar said, “Who says Farooq was not given the mandate? If he had wanted to contest, who would have denied him?”
He stressed that he (Dr Farooq) himself decided to step back.
“This should not lead to any speculation about Budgam. Someone who is not ready to contest a Rajya Sabha election would certainly not want to undergo the rigours of an Assembly campaign.”
He described Dr Abdullah as the “guiding light” of the National Conference. “He is the tallest and most respected leader of Jammu and Kashmir, and one of the most respected leaders in the country. His role will remain important, regardless of where he is,” Omar said.
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