Dr Farooq says party rejected offer from BJP, preferred contest
Srinagar: The National Conference and the BJP on Saturday rejected allegations that the Rajya Sabha polls were a “fixed match”, with NC president Farooq Abdullah saying his party had rejected an offer from the BJP and had preferred a contest.
Abdullah also denied the charge by People’s Conference chief and MLA from Handwara, Sajad Lone, that the NC had “gifted” seven votes to the BJP.
On Friday, the ruling NC won three seats, while the BJP managed one in the first Rajya Sabha elections held in Jammu and Kashmir after it became a Union territory in 2019.
J&K BJP president Sat Sharma defeated NC candidate Imran Nabi Dar by securing 32 votes.
“Had we gifted it, then how did our fourth candidate secure 21 votes? We did not give any gift. They (BJP) had come to us (saying) — let there not be an election and we (NC) take three and give them (BJP) one. We said no, we will contest and it will be decided on the ground,” Mr. Abdullah said while replying to queries from reporters.
He expressed gratitude to the Congress and the PDP for supporting NC candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls, and also asserted all his party MLAs were united and the BJP could not break even one of them.
“All MLAs of our party remained united; they could not break even one. There were some media reports that we are not united, but we remained united. We are thankful to Mehbooba (Mufti) ji’s party (PDP), Congress party and those independents, including Langate and Shopian MLAs, and others who supported us,” he said.
When asked whether the PDP had supported the NC, Mr. Abdullah said, “Yes, PDP supported us”. “I am thankful to them, I thank Mehbooba ji,” he said.
He said while it was a matter of happiness that NC’s three candidates won the election, it is “regretful” that the fourth candidate could not win because some MLAs “backtracked” from their promise of support.
“He got 21 votes but could not win because some people did not keep the promise they had made,” he added. Asked whether it was a miscalculation by the party or a “betrayal” by some MLAs, Abdullah said, “Such things happen in an election”.
“God knows whether it was a betrayal or what. But, I am thankful to God that we won three seats,” he said. He downplayed allegations of a “fixed match” between the NC and the BJP.
“Allegations were made even against our Prophet, and we are nothing in comparison to him. Allegations will continue to be levelled and we have to fight them,” the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K said.
Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma said they are thankful to the seven legislators who “rejected” NC and supported the BJP candidate.
“We do not know them, but one thing is clear that they have rejected the NC government and served them a warning. We welcome these seven legislators because the BJP bagged the seat because of them. There may be more like them who are not happy with the government,” he said.
He claimed the BJP made “no contact with any legislators but requested them to vote for the party to reject the current government’s “anti-people” policies.
PTI