Srinagar, Oct 26 – Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told NDTV that he will step down if the state’s status as a full‑state isn’t restored soon.
Abdullah’s bold threat comes after the Rajya Sabha election, in which the National Conference (NC) surprised everyone by losing one of its four seats to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The NC had expected to win all four seats, but the BJP’s victory on the fourth seat shocked the NC.
“It’s not a case of cross‑voting,” Abdullah said. “All NC MLAs voted for the NC candidates—Mohammad Ramzan Chowdhary, Sajad Kichloo, Shami Oberoi and Imran Nabi Dar.”
Imran Nabi Dar lost to BJP’s state president Sat Sharma, who took the fourth seat with 32 votes to the NC’s 22. The BJP used 28 of its own votes plus the crucial support of four MLAs from other parties.
Abdullah says the four MLAs came from the National Congress, CPI(M), Aam Aadmi Party and the Awami Ittehad Party. He is now calling on the BJP to reveal which four MLAs tipped the balance.
The NC had counted on six Congress MLAs, a CPI(M) MLA, five independents, one AIP MLA and one AAP MLA for the fourth seat. Sajad Lone of the Peoples Conference criticised the NC for “gifting” seven of its MLAs to the BJP to secure the win, but Abdullah rebuffed him, saying Sajad should not lecture about politics after abstaining from voting.
In the 2024 assembly elections, the NC won 42 seats, the BJP 29, Congress 6, PDP 3, CPI(M) 1, AIP 1, PC 1, AAP 1 and six independents. One independent later joined the NC, and Congress chose to back the NC government from outside without formally entering it.
The 90‑member Assembly needs 46 seats for a majority. Two seats—Nagrota and Budgam—remain vacant as by‑polls are scheduled for Nov 11. Currently, the NC sits at 42 seats (plus the independent who joined), with backing from one CPI(M) MLA and six Congress MLAs. The AAP MLA, Mehraj Malik, who is detained, had initially supported the NC but later withdrew his backing.
Abdullah’s announcement has sparked debate across Jammu and Kashmir. Some see it as a genuine demand for statehood, while others worry it could destabilise the fragile balance of power in the state.
Keywords: Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, statehood, Rajya Sabha elections, National Conference, Bharatiya Janata Party, cross‑voting, legislative assembly, election results.
Source: ianslive
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