As the date of elections in Jammu and Kashmir is coming closer, the political game is also getting more interesting. National Conference (NC) and Congress are already in the same camp, now it seems that Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) can also sing in the same tune. Meanwhile, NC Vice President and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has made a move to bring PDP also in his camp. Omar Abdullah said that the agenda of PDP and NC is same for Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections and has appealed to PDP not to field its candidates against NC.
On Sunday, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the PDP’s manifesto is all that the NC has put before the public. He also said that the PDP should not field its candidates against the NC and Congress alliance, so that an effective coalition can be formed for the betterment of Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah’s remarks came a day after Mehbooba Mufti offered full support to the Congress-NC alliance. Mehbooba had said that if the alliance accepts the PDP’s agenda, her party will give up all the seats.
Addressing NC workers in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, Omar Abdullah said the PDP has included many schemes from his party’s manifesto in its manifesto. “We have included all the important issues in the manifesto and the PDP has also raised almost the same things. They should have kept some difference in the manifesto,” he said.
Abdullah said his party has promised to give 200 units of free electricity if it comes to power and “they (PDP) have also said they will give 200 units of electricity.” “We said we will give one lakh government jobs in the first year, they have put it in their manifesto as well. We talked about reopening the routes (across the LoC), it is in their manifesto as well. We talked about keeping the doors of dialogue open (with Pakistan) and they have also said so. Whatever is in our manifesto, our allies have also put it almost the same,” he said.
On the PDP’s offer, Abdullah said that there is not much difference between the agenda of NC and PDP. Abdullah said, “They (PDP) said that if the NC-Congress alliance accepts their agenda, they will not field candidates. You have included all our agenda in your manifesto. You have already accepted our agenda and now there is not much difference between your agenda and our agenda. So don’t field candidates and come, let us build a better future for Jammu and Kashmir.”
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah’s statement has indicated the growing political equation between NC and PDP. This latest equation in Jammu and Kashmir politics can affect the election strategies and the direction of the alliance. Now it remains to be seen whether Mehbooba Mufti also agrees with Omar Abdullah or not.
