Omar and Farooq Abdullah expressed the need to work with the BJP and promised impartial governance to address Jammu’s concerns.
Srinagar: Omar Abdullah visited the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar on Friday evening to stake a claim for forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir after securing support from independents and the Congress. During his media interaction, Abdullah stressed the importance of a functional relationship with the BJP-led central government, stating, “We have to develop a working relationship without any friction with the Prime Minister and Home Minister so that the governance can be responsive to the needs of the public.”
Abdullah, who has been critical of some I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners like the Congress, recently urged Congress to introspect after its poor performance in Haryana. He also dismissed speculation on social media about a resolution being passed to restore Article 370, saying, “Seeking the restoration of Article 370 from the BJP, the very party responsible for its removal, is nothing short of foolish.”
Both Omar and his father, Farooq Abdullah, have acknowledged the need to engage with the BJP and adopt a strategy that considers Jammu’s political landscape to run the administration effectively. Farooq Abdullah assured Jammu residents that the new government would address their issues impartially, countering any BJP-driven narrative that the National Conference (NC) is anti-Jammu.
The BJP secured 29 seats in the Jammu region during the recent elections, with support from independents raising its tally to 32. Meanwhile, the NC-Congress alliance gathered a majority, winning 48 seats, bolstered by independents and members from the CPI(M) and Aam Aadmi Party. This government will be the first in Jammu and Kashmir since 2018 when the BJP withdrew its support from Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP-led coalition, resulting in Governor’s rule.
As Omar Abdullah prepares for his second tenure as Chief Minister, he emphasised that a priority would be to work toward the restoration of statehood, currently under Union Territory status, to focus better on governance. The swearing-in ceremony is tentatively scheduled for October 16, contingent on completing procedural formalities with the Union government.