‘NC ready for elections, will emerge as a victor’
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Nov 19: A day after stepping down as President of National Conference and announcing the party elections, former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today made it clear that he would be contesting the next Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Insha Allah, I am going to contest the Assembly elections whenever held, we are ever ready for the polls” he told the reporters on sidelines of a function in connection with joining of National Conference by some new faces, here today.
Farooq’s decisions on stepping down as the party President but announcing to contest the Assembly elections hint a shift in the National Conference strategy over Chief Ministerial candidate.
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Pertinent to mention that Farooq Abdullah has not contested Assembly polls since 2002 when for the first time he had projected his son Omar Abdullah as the Chief Ministerial candidate though the latter had lost the election.
In reference to his decision of stepping down as the NC President, Farooq maintained that he was not escaping the responsibility and would continue to work for strengthening the party.
“Time has come for younger generation to take the lead in the party. Whatever was possible from me, I have done that and even now I am not escaping from the responsibility. I am a party man and will remain so,” he said.
In response to the allegation that he was relinquishing the presidency to get his son Omar Abdullah installed as the party chief, Farooq said that National Conference is a democratic party and the party delegates will decide who will be the next party president.
Maintaining that NC was ready for the Assembly elections and will emerge as a victor to pull out J&K from its troubles, Farooq also pooh-poohed BJP claim of winning 50 plus seats and said: “Let them announce the dates, we will show them where they stand.”
Earlier, addressing the gathering at Akhnoor, Farooq lashed out the J&K administration for its failure to fulfill the promises and called for early elections. “We were promised 50 thousand jobs here, where are they? Our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and our children are all unemployed. This cannot be done by a Governor, you cannot hold him accountable . Elections are important,” he said.
He claimed that after coming to power in 1996, National Conference Government under his Chief Ministership had brought J&K back on the track. “We worked hard to bring J&K back on the track at a time when everything was finished. Only NC was on the ground when gun and bomb attacks were taking place everywhere,” he said and without naming PDP, added that the parties which were nowhere then were trying to claim credit today.
“Schools were closed and there were no roads and bridges. We restored order, reopened closed schools by deploying Rahbar-e-Taleem teachers, posted 300 doctors in far flung areas and also restored the damaged infrastructure to bring J&K back on track,” he said and urged the people to join hands with the National Conference to pull out Jammu and Kashmir and ensure that it marches alongside the rest of the country.
In apparent reference to the BJP allegations of National Conference patronizing pro-Pak elements, Farooq Abdullah said they never joined hands with Pakistan. “Jinnah had come to meet with my father, but we denied to join hands with him. We are glad for it,” he said and added that people in Pakistan are not empowered.
On the occasion, prominent social activists Kuldeep Sharma along with Rajinder Singh Langeh, Balwan Singh, Madan Lal Sharma, Behari Lal Bhagat, Chaman Lal Sharma and others joined National Conference.
Later, while inaugurating an industrial unit in Akhnoor and felicitating its owner Madan Lal on establishing the venture, Farooq Abdullah cautioned from the forces that are posing a threat to unity in the country.
“The communal agenda of these forces poses a grave threat not just to our unity but our developmental prospects. In today’s globalised world, there is no scope for such hatred. No society can dream of growing if it is plagued by the pest of communalism,” he said and lauded Jammu people for historically been accommodative and their commitment towards unity and brotherhood.
Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah also met a delegation from Kishtwar that had called on him at his Jammu residence.
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