A day before Jammu & Kashmir Assembly election results, J&K Congress Chief Tariq Hameed Karra expressed cautious optimism about the outcome while raising concerns about exit polls and the role of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in the nomination of Assembly members.
Karra acknowledged the exit polls but emphasized that they do not always reflect the true outcome.
“Exit polls are fine in their place, but we hope that the exact poll will be even better than that. A clear-cut verdict has been given to the alliance,” he said.
“In some places, the exit poll projections are correct, but in others, they are manipulated. We believe more in the exact poll than the exit poll,” he said, reinforcing his confidence in the forthcoming results.
Karra remained hopeful that the alliance would emerge victorious, surpassing the expectations set by exit polls.
In a pointed critique of the powers vested in the LG, Karra referred to the allocation of five seats by the LG as an overreach of authority.
He argued that the Indian Constitution does not allow for arbitrary nominations, even by the President in the Rajya Sabha.
“The government is represented by the cabinet, and such appointments should be made on their recommendation. If the same is applied here, the arbitrary powers given to the LG are unconstitutional and undemocratic,” Karra asserted.
He questioned how an LG could be granted powers that even the President of India does not have.
“This is a clear violation of democratic norms, and such powers should not be vested in one individual,” he added.
When asked about potential alliances, particularly with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Karra stated that no direct contact was necessary.
He reiterated his long-standing stance of aligning with any party or organization that seeks to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power.
“Every political party or organization on the same page, wanting to prevent BJP from entering the power corridor, is part of our broader objective,” he remarked.
Karra concluded his remarks by expressing skepticism about the reliability of exit polls.
