STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said his party will not enter into a pre-poll alliance with any other party for the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We will not enter into any alliance, totally not,” Abdullah told reporters here.
The NC chief’s comments came on the eve of the Election Commission’s (EC) visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the preparations for the polls.
Abdullah said the poll panel will talk to the parties and then consult the Centre, before finalising the election dates.
NC ready for assembly elections, wants level playing field for all parties: Omar
KATHUA/JAMMU: As the Election Commission is set to visit Jammu and Kashmir to review preparedness for the assembly polls, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said his party is prepared for the elections and wants a level playing field for all parties in the Union Territory.
Expressing confidence about restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after the assembly elections, Abdullah said “they (BJP) cannot dare to lie to the Supreme Court making a promise on the subject”.
“The ECI is touring Jammu and Kashmir from tomorrow (Thursday) and our only request to them is to issue the election notification as soon as possible to start the process. We are also hopeful that all parties will be treated equally so that we can fight the elections on a level playing field,” Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a public rally at Nagri in Kathua district.
The former Chief Minister said that his party started preparing for the elections the day when the Supreme Court set the deadline of September 30 for holding of the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir last year. On the prevailing situation in Bangladesh, the National Conference leader in a lighter vein said “when my own situation is not so good, what I should speak for others”. “We will only hope that the people of Bangladesh live peacefully,” he added.
Abdullah said there are many young boys and girls from Jammu and Kashmir getting education in Bangladesh and there should be proper arrangements for their security.
“They have temporarily returned and we are eagerly waiting for them to return to Bangladesh and complete their education,” he said.
“Whether the dates are announced or not, the EC is coming here. They will talk to everyone, then they will consult the Government of India and finalise the dates. They cannot finalise the dates themselves. Today, everything is done by the Government of India, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji and the Home Minister (Amit Shah),” he added. To a question about the situation in Bangladesh, the former Union minister said India has been left alone as none of its neighbours is its friend anymore.
“Bangladesh is a different issue, our country has a different issue. In Bangladesh, (Sheikh) Hasina was pro-India, but the people there were not pro-India. She ran the affairs till she could. Today, India should be ready to deal with dangers.
“Today, none of our neighbours is our friend. We are alone — be it Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. The regret is that this big brother has miffed the younger brothers,” Abdullah said. The need of the hour is the revival of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and India should fulfil its duty as the big brother, he added. India should sit with everyone and discuss their problems, which was the aim of the SAARC. “Only then can all our neighbours become our friends,” Abdullah said.