Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4: Repeated rant by Abdullahs of holding early Assembly elections is mainly for self-interest since, Omar Abdullah is desperate to be back in the corridors of power in the State, stated Brig (retd) Anil Gupta, State spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a statement issued here, today.
He said not very long ago and in the recent past the State underwent the largest ever democratic exercise for grass-root empowerment, but Abdullahs unilaterally declared the boycott of the Urban Local Bodies and Panchayat elections ignoring the aspirations of thousands of party workers and activists. “Since these elections would have empowered the ordinary workers of the party and reduced the dynastic hold over the party, Abdullahs found it convenient to boycott the same” added Brig Gupta.
He said “in order to assuage the sentiments of its dwindling cadre, Abdullahs chose the emotive issue of Articles 35A and 370 as an excuse for boycott.” In any case, in the scheme of things of Abdullahs self-preservation is paramount and the aspirations of the junior leadership and cadre who form the edifice of party’s strength find the last priority, asserted Brig Gupta.
Not much has changed since then except that BJP is vociferously talking of removal of the contentious Articles 35A and 370. But Dr Abdullah’s desperation to enter the Parliament did not make him even wink an eyelid in deciding that his party will contest the election. Not only that he stitched a pre-election alliance with Congress in which he conceded three seats to Congress and secured just one seat for himself (Srinagar Constituency) and agreed for a “friendly match” on other three, he added.
He said “in one stroke, Abdullahs for sake of personal gain sacrificed the interest of the once largest political party of the State reducing it to a sub-regional party and confined to Kashmir Valley only,” rued Brig Gupta.
Sensing imminent defeat and afraid of the backlash from cadre’s anger, junior Abdullah has resorted to time tested formula of playing a ‘victim card’ and his favourite past time of tweeting , “which says a lot about Congress and its approach to J&K”, he added.
The poor response of the people to emotive issue like Article 370, has not dampened the spirit of the Abdullahs. They are keeping their spirits high under the false notion of “there is no alternative, stated Brig Gupta.
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