STATE TIMES NEWS
Chandigarh: The National Conference-Congress alliance in Jammu and Kashmir will collapse like a house of cards and face a humiliating defeat in the assembly elections, BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said on Friday.
He also claimed the alliance had been rejected time and again by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Even in the last Lok Sabha elections, while the Congress failed to open its account in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference led by the Abdullahs faced a crushing defeat,” Chugh, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir in-charge, said in a statement in Chandigarh.
“In the past, the Abdullahs, Gandhis and the Muftis had formed the Gupkar alliance, which was outrightly rejected by the people in the DDC (District Development Council) elections. They formed the INDI block in the Lok Sabha elections, yet they bit the dust,” he added.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Malikarjun Kharge were in Jammu and Kashmir on a two-day visit on Wednesday and Thursday to hold consultations with party workers ahead of the assembly elections.
Ridiculing Gandhi’s visit, during which he also enjoyed an ice-cream at a Srinagar parlour, Chugh claimed, “It was more like an ice-cream trip to Lal Chowk where he (Gandhi) must have understood the pulse of the people.”
“Rahul Gandhi’s fun trip is a clear indication of the improved security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. This feat has been achieved under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has brought about a transformative change in the region,” Chugh further said.
The BJP’s strong presence and popularity in Jammu and Kashmir are a testament to Modi’s leadership and the party’s commitment to the region’s development, he added.
The Congress’ attempt to seek alliances with parties “rejected” by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha elections is a clear indication of its desperation, the BJP leader claimed.
“In contrast, Modi’s policies have made it possible for Rahul Gandhi to enjoy a peaceful outing in Lal Chowk, a far cry from the tense atmosphere that earlier prevailed in the region,” Chugh said.
Gandhi on Thursday sought to strike an emotional chord with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and assured that the restoration of statehood was a priority for the Congress as well as the opposition INDIA bloc.
The former Congress president also said it was his party’s aim that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh got their democratic rights back.
As Gandhi concluded the Srinagar leg of his visit, he stitched up an alliance with Jammu and Kashmir’s oldest regional party — the National Conference — after holding consultations with its president Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah.
After the discussions, Farooq Abdullah announced his party’s alliance with the Congress.
Omar Abdullah on Friday said the seat-share arrangement with the Congress had been finalised for a majority of constituencies and that parleys were underway to reach a consensus over the remainder.
During the visit, Gandhi also met a delegation of students, relished the traditional Kashmiri cuisine ‘wazwan’ at a famous restaurant, and had an ice-cream at a popular local parlour.
Assembly polls to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4.
