Holding the Lok Sabha and Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections simultaneously is a “big test” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the National Conference vice-president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday.
“Holding separate polls for the Lok Sabha and J&K assembly would send a message that situation in Kashmir during the three-year-long PDP-BJP rule has become unfavourable for holding the assembly polls in the state,” Omar said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a public rally at Shangus area in southern Anantnag district, Omar hit out at the PDP and BJP.
“PDP goes to Delhi to beg and demand deferment of assembly polls because the party has lost ground in Kashmir. PDP’s demand suits BJP which too has lost ground in its strong bastion Jammu,” Omar alleged.
The deferment of assembly polls or holding Lok Sabha and assembly polls separately would be a “big failure” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu and Kashmir “as it would send a message that Modi government has failed to create a conducive atmosphere for holding of assembly polls in the state”.
Alleging that PDP leaders visit Delhi to demand deferment of assembly polls “due to the party’s failure in running a coalition government in alliance with BJP during last three years”, Omar said “keeping in view a ruling of the Supreme Court on holding assembly polls within six months after the imposition of president’s rule in any state, holding the Lok Sabha and assembly polls simultaneously is a big challenge for Prime Minister”.
National Conference has always stood for timely conduct of elections and is vehemently opposed to any deferment of the assembly polls in the state, he said.
Meanwhile, Omar said the forthcoming elections are crucial for safeguarding the “special status” of the state besides “deciding the scope of development for next half a decade”.
Addressing a party workers’ convention at Ratsun, Beeerwah, Omar said: “People of the state this time should make clear to those sitting in the power corridors in New Delhi how passionately they feel about their identity”.
Only a democratic government can satiate the developmental needs of the state, Omar said, adding that governor “cannot decide on crucial issues that the state is facing”.
“The mammoth task of putting state back on the track of development which includes giving due representation to Pir Panchal and Chenab regions, infrastructure augmentation in health and education sector, diversification of agriculture, can only be executed by a democratically elected government with the active participation of people,” he said.
“People have seen it all how the non-participation of NC in the urban local body and panchayat elections opened floodgates for such forces which are naïve towards the suffering of people,” he said.
Omar maintained that people of the state want elections held as soon as possible.
He also said the idea of coalition government doesn’t auger well for the state.
“The PDP-BJP government is a case in point. The need of the hour is to pull the state out of chaos and it can only be done by a strong mandated government. NC with its legacy of service and sacrifice bears the panacea of state’s peculiar issues,” he said.