National Conference vice-president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that only his party and Congress were in the contest for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, and PDP “was nowhere in the race”.
His statement comes a day after the first leg of thethree-phased elections for the Lok Sabha seat in Anantnag district was held.
In the second phase, Kulgam would vote on April 29 and inthe third phase, Pulwama and Shopian are going for polls on May 6.
“After yesterday’s results it is quite obvious that ourcandidate Hassnain Masoodi is in a comfortable position. Now it is the fightbetween NC and Congress. PDP stands nowhere,” Omar told reporters on thesidelines of a workers convention at Rest House, Kulgam.
Attributing the low turnout in the six assembly segments ofAnantnag district to the resentment against previous PDP-BJP coalitiongovernment, and Mehbooba Mufti, Omar said, “The dismal turnout in Bijbehara andAnantnag assembly segments and low voter turnout in four others is a clearmessage to PDP and its leadership. They should realize how they treated thestate in the past four years and how much destruction they caused.”
Flaying Mehbooba for betraying the trust of people, Omarsaid, “Imagine in Anantnag assembly segment where from Mehbooba Mufti won the2016 by-elections by 12,000 votes, not even a thousand votes were polled. Evenher own brother and sitting MLC Tasaduk Mufti didn’t cast his vote in herfavor. If her own brother didn’t repose his faith in her, how can others.”
“I have never come across such helplessness and lonelinessin my entire life. This is lesson for all politicians. Opportunism hath afall,” he said and appealed to the people to show their anger by votingrather than staying at homes.
“Masoodi sahib will represent the aspirations of people inNew Delhi. He is the one who won’t have to seek permission of New Delhi tospeak for you. He would speak for Kashmirisand not New Delhi,” Omar said.
“He will be there to protect the article 370 and 35 A in theparliament,” he said.
Omar also accused Muftis and PDP of lies on the protectionof the special status of J&K.
“They were the one who implemented SARFAESI, NFSA, andGST in the state. They were the one whobrought NIA to state. They failed to deliver on every promise they made in therun up for elections in 2014. We didn’t see them repeal AFSPA. On the contrarythey slapped PSA on thousands of our youngsters, most of whom are stilllanguishing in jails. She failed miserably on every front. She failed toprotect state’s status. She failed to provide jobs and above all she pushed thestate into chaos. It was south Kashmir that bore the brunt of her imprudentpolicies. They are the ones who provided platform to BJP-RSS in the state,”Omar said.
Omar also chided Mehbooba for “shedding crocodile tears”during her campaigning.
“Today we see her shedding tears over the miseries. Peoplewould have appreciated if she would have shed them when scores of our youthwere devoured during her stint as the chief minister. The tears we see in hereyes are not out of remorse either. On the contrary these tears are politicaltears, which she is craftily shedding to gain the lost ground. However, peoplehave made it a point to not fall prey to her shenanigans and slyness. Peopleremember how she had bolted her mouth in 2016. We didn’t see her raise qualmsover the problems faced by people when she was enjoying power with the BJP, hertears emerged only after when BJP withdrew support,” he added.
Omar also addressedworkers in Wanpoh in Kulgam’s Home-Shalibugh Assembly constituency.