After the end of voting for Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, efforts for alliance to form government have intensified. Congress Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra said that the National Conference-Congress alliance will get a clear majority in the assembly elections. But the door is open for like-minded parties and individuals to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out of power. At the same time, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said that NC and Congress seem to be forming the government together. If the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is ready to join us, it is a great thing. In fact, after the exit polls came out, PDP leader Zuhaib Yusuf Mir said that he is ready for an alliance with NC and Congress to keep BJP out of power.
Regarding this statement of PDP leader, Farooq Abdullah said that he should be congratulated. His thinking is good, we are all on the same path. He said, ‘We have to end hatred and keep Jammu and Kashmir together.’ It is known that most of the exit polls that came on Saturday said that National Conference can emerge as the largest party in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP is expected to get slightly more seats this time than the 25 seats it got in the 2014 assembly elections. PDP is expected to get less than 10 seats this time. PDP had got 28 seats in the elections held 10 years ago.
Uproar over nomination of 5 MLAs
Karra expressed his objection to the possible nomination of 5 MLAs by the Lieutenant Governor. He said this would be contrary to the basic concept of democracy and would amount to rigging of election results to thwart the mandate of the people. He said, ‘Congress will strongly oppose this and will not allow BJP to succeed in its plans, although it will not be even close to staking claim for government formation.’ On urban local body and panchayat elections, Congress Jammu and Kashmir unit president Karra said the final decision on this should be left to the elected government. Party candidates told Karra that the police and administration were biased towards the BJP and alleged that the administration had failed at most places to take action against electoral malpractices by the ruling party candidates.
Farooq Abdullah refuses to form alliance with BJP
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah has said that his party will not form any alliance with BJP to form the government. Abdullah said on Saturday, ‘We will not go with BJP. The votes we got in the elections are against BJP. They put Muslims in trouble, bulldozing their shops, houses, mosques and schools. Do you think we will go with them?’ He said that BJP did not give representation to even a single Muslim during the Lok Sabha elections and even there is not a single Muslim minister in the Union Cabinet. The NC president said, ‘I believe that our people will not vote for BJP. If they think that they will form the government then they are in a fantasy world.
