Friendly contest looks imminent among constituents of INDIA Bloc in J&K; here's why

Notwithstanding efforts of the Congress to involve the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in seat-sharing discussions in Jammu and Kashmir to avoid division of opposition votes, the National Conference on Friday made it clear that seats will be shared only between two parties.

Vice-president of the National Conference and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that out of the total six Lok Sabha seats in the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, three each will be shared by the Congress and the National Conference.

"PDP is out of the scheme of seat-sharing arrangements of the INDIA bloc in J&K and Ladakh", Omar said, adding, "We did not out PDP. The circumstances kept the PDP out of seat sharing arrangements among constituents of the INDIA bloc".

Ridiculing the PDP for staking claim to the prestigious Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, Omar asked, "How come number one and number two parties leave this seat for the party which secured third position in previous elections"?

Although in 2014 and 2004 Lok Sabha Mehbooba Mufti had won this prestigious seat as a candidate of the PDP, she stood at number three in the 2019 parliamentary election on the same seat.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference candidate Hasnain Masoodi emerged victorious with 40,180 votes, while Congress candidate Ghulam Ahmed Mir was runner-up in this seat he got 33,504 votes, while Mehbooba Mufti got 30,424 votes.

Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, founder of the Peoples' Democratic Party and father of Mehbooba Mufti, had won this Parliamentary seat in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections as a Congress candidate.

Omar recalls Iltija's post to attack PDP for violation of coalition dharma

Continuing an attack on coalition partner PDP for violating coalition dharma, Omar Abdullah said that the leader of the PDP was seizing all opportunities to demonize coalition partners through their speeches, statements, and social media posts.

"It is the responsibility of all coalition partners to avoid attacking each other but PDP leaders have no respect for other partners", he said and recalled a social media post of Iltiza Mufti after the "rigged" general election in Pakistan.

After the results of the Pakistan general election were declared, Iltija Mufti daughter of the Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, launched a veiled attack on the National Conference and Congress while comparing general elections in Pakistan with the infamous 1987 rigged elections in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Sad to see victory snatched from @ImranKhanPTI and elections rigged in Pakistan. For the people of Kashmir, it's reminiscent of the 1987 election followed by mass electoral fraud. Uncanny similarities between the crackdown on Jamaat leaders then and PTI now", Iltija Mufti, who is media advisor to Mehbooba Mufti had posted.

Further comparing Pakistan's election results with the 1987 assembly elections, she posted, " Lamhon nay khata ki sadiyon nay saza payi. People of J&K continue paying a price with their lives because of the violence triggered by rigged 1987 elections. Pak army should take a leaf from our blood-soaked history to understand the consequences of manipulating popular mandate".

Omar is ready to accommodate PDP in assembly elections

Indirectly admitting that the Congress is trying to convince his party to accommodate the PDP, Omar said that the leadership of the National Conference has told its coalition partner Congress that they are ready to adjust the PDP in the next assembly elections.

"As far as the coming Parliamentary elections are concerned, I don't think there is any scope for adjustment of the PDP,"  Omar said.

The NC vice president further said that his party has asked Congress to field candidates on Jammu-Reasi, Udhampur-Doda, and Ladakh seats for the coming elections.