Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the situation in the State was not ‘conducive for holding Assembly elections’ due to the recent floods. However, he maintained that it was the Election Commission which would take a final call.
“look my party (National Conference) has made it very clear that this is not the opportune time to hold the elections. We believe that at this point of time people are struggling to rebuild their life,” he told reporters here after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The six-year-term of the 87-member Assembly ends on January 19, 2015. The Chief Minister said the recent floods had not hit some sparsely populated rural areas but some of the most heavily populated areas of Kashmir Valley.
“The capital city anyway had less than optimum turnout in elections. Tomorrow when zero percentage turnout will happen in Srinagar, who will you blame for that. You certainly cannot blame me. Because I am not the one who is pushing for elections. You have to blame those people who are trying to hold elections,” said Omar.
Omar said by holding elections at this point of time, more misery will be brought to people, hence the National Conference made it clear its stand to the Election Commission even though the party was in minority in that meeting.
“We leave it to the Election Commission to decide. As far as the State Government is concerned, as I am not talking here on behalf of the National Conference, the State Government has made the distinction of whether we can hold the elections and whether we should hold the election.
Omar said during his meeting with the Home Minister, he has discussed with him the steps taken for relief and rehabilitation of the people affected in the recent floods in Jammu & Kashmir. “We have given a memorandum yesterday. An inter- ministerial team will visit J&K soon. They will then decide a package,” he said.
Referring to the tension along the border with Pakistan, Omar said flag meetings between the forces of the two countries were important as tension could be reduced through talks in such meetings so that ceasefire comes into force. But security forces have to retaliate if there is firing from across the border as they were targeting civilian areas, he said. The State Government wants the ceasefire to be maintained, he said.