Lok Sabha Elections 2024: National Conference leader Oman Abdullah has said people are identifying themselves with his party's campaign as it is talking about factors important to them: the sense of "betrayal" since August 5, 2019 and their issues remaining unaddressed in the absence of a popular government since 2018.
He said that the BJP’s tactics in various constituencies indicated a calculated approach to secure advantages through alliances against his party.
"The people have identified themselves with our campaign; they have joined in large numbers and with enthusiastic crowds. But it is also true that there is a general sense of betrayal that what happened on August 5, 2019 was the betrayal of all the promises and commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Abdullah said.
Abdullah on Srinagar voting percentage
Abdullah termed the high voting percentage in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in the fourth phase of elections an “answer to the betrayal of August 2019”.
The Centre abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019 which granted special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The centre also downgraded the state into two union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to large turnouts during his election rallies, Abdullah said the absence of an elected government since 2018 is a factor as those who are currently administering them are disconnected from people's daily struggles.
"This is by far the worst government that we have seen in a very very long time and there is almost no interaction between the general population of Jammu and Kashmir and those who govern them. They live in these ivory castles and are immune to what the people are saying and the difficulties that they are facing. It is unfortunate that this is the reality," he said.
Omar Abdullah on BJP not contesting on three seats of Kashmir division
On a question about the BJP not fielding candidates from the three seats of the Kashmir division, Abdullah said contesting polls would have clearly countered their false claims and they would have "failed the first test, which is an electoral test, (as) the people would have voted resoundingly against the BJP.
"I am not surprised that they have not put up candidates in Baramulla and Srinagar but the way they manoeuvred the delimitation of Anantnag seat and then sought to give reservation to Paharis with their eye on the electoral gains and benefits from this," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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