The ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu & Kashmir has thrown challenge to Opposition parties to be ready for tough challenge in the upcoming Assembly elections likely to be held in November.
A day after the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) announced first list of its candidates for the Assembly poll, the ruling party held its first Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting, first of its kind after the recent lS poll debacle. The NC was whitewashed in Kashmir losing all three parliamentary seats to the PDP candidates.
Omar Abdullah has announced a slew of measures since the poll results to make bridges with the disenchanted electorate. His Government announced enhancement of retirement age to 60 years from 58 and fast-tracked recruitment mechanism following enhancement in the minimum qualifying age for entry into the Government services. The faulty recruitment policy denying most benefits to the new entrants to the Government service was also done away with. Omar said that his party would make a comeback in the Assembly elections.
Speaking to CWC members, Abdullah said that the NC will never compromise on its political ideology and agenda. He boasted of being the lone Chief Minister who spoke “strongly and fearlessly” about the resolution of the Kashmir Issue on the floor of the State legislative Assembly and also in front of the former Prime Minister of India during his visit to the State.
Omar also said that he had repeatedly reiterated that Kashmir Issue was a political problem that merited a political solution and no amount of economic packages could substitute the need for a political settlement. He reiterated that he spoke on the floor of the House that Jammu & Kashmir has only acceded to and not merged with the Union of India. “It is something Mufti Mohammad Sayeed would never have dared to do,” he boasted.
Interestingly, the NC has not yet finalised its list of candidates for the upcoming polls. Party general secretary and Rural Development Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar said that the list would be finalised after NC chief Farooq Abdullah returns from foreign tour.
The PDP announced its first list of candidates on Tuesday, which gave fillip to the political activity in the embattled State. The other political groups are also likely to announce their candidates in the coming days. Observers say that pre-poll permutations and combinations are likely in near future, which may even affect the stability of the present coalition.