Although National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti have observed that the outcome of the Karnataka assembly rekindled a ray of hope of unity among the opposition, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raised doubt about maiden assembly polls in the Union Territory of J&K.
"Now there is no way BJP will have the courage to allow assembly elections to take place in Jammu and Kashmir any time soon Karnataka election results," Abdullah, the vice president of the NC, stated.
Earlier as well, Omar had targetted the BJP over the Assembly election in the Union Territory and said that the saffron party is afraid to lose and "doesn't have the courage to face the people".
"The BJP is not ready for assembly elections because they know they are going to lose the elections. They don't have the courage to face the people. We are also not ready to beg for the polls. If they hold the elections, well and good! If they don't, so be it," he had said in Anantnag district recently.
Dr. Abdullah is also doubtful of early assembly elections inJ&K
Earlier on May 1 Dr. Farooq Abdullah has raised doubt about the maiden assembly elections in J&K.
"Neither I am hopeful nor I am worried about the assembly elections in J&K. Let them decide on elections in J&K", Dr. Abdullah told reporters at the NC headquarters in Jammu.
Without naming BJP for delaying assembly elections in J&K without any reason, the NC president said, "We will not ask to install a popular government in Jammu and Kashmir. We are least concerned about assembly elections".
"The National Conference will not beg for assembly elections in the Union Territory because BJP is bulldozing democratic institutions in J&K", he said, adding, "India is a democratic country and you are denying the people their right".
NC president, however, said that his party is ready to fight the Panchayat and District Development Council elections, or assembly polls for that matter, whenever those are held.
J&K is without an elected government since June 2018.
Jammu and Kashmir is without an elected government since June 2018 when BJP dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) followed by the resignation of the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Five months later, on November 28, 2018, then Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the legislative assembly minutes after Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP staked a claim to form the government with the support of Congress and the National Conference.
A month later on December 19, 2018, then President Ram Nath Kovind issued a proclamation promulgating President's Rule in J&K under Article 356 of the Constitution of India.
Eight months later on August 5, 2019, the BJP government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
