Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the Rajya Sabha election is a direct contest between the National Conference and the Bharatiya Janata Party, urging opposition parties to get united against the saffron party.
Speaking with reporters in Baramulla, the Chief Minister said People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone’s decision to stay away from polls would only benefit the BJP. “You and I know who will benefit from this. I appeal to others not to stay away. This is a direct contest between NC and BJP. Not voting for NC means helping the BJP,”3 he said.
CM Omar urged all opposition parties, including the PDP and Congress, to stay united and vote strategically to ensure BJP’s defeat. “If the aim is to stop the BJP, every party must contribute. Staying out of the field only weakens the fight”, he said.
On reports of friction within the INDIA bloc, the Chief Minister clarified that the alliance with Congress remains intact. “We did not want to field our candidate on the fourth seat. We wanted Congress to contest because that would have given us the best chance to win. But Congress chose not to fight, so we had to nominate our candidate there as well,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that the National Conference remains committed to strengthening the alliance spirit, ensuring BJP’s loss on all three seats. “Our goal is clear. The BJP must be defeated and we will fight for that on every seat”, he said—(KNO)
