Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Oct 9: National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah Wednesday said that the just concluded Assembly polls in J&K were “damn difficult” and that the upcoming Chief Minister will have to wear a crown of thorns given huge responsibilities.
“The Assembly polls were damn difficult for the National Conference. All powers had united against us. But people stood with us and gave us a majority,” Dr Farooq told reporters at his Gupkar residence. He said that the upcoming Chief Minister will have to wear a “crown of thorns” given huge responsibilities on his shoulders. “The road ahead is very tough but we have to walk over it,” he said.
On BJP winning the majority of seats in Jammu, the NC chief said like the then Governor General of Pakistan, late Muhammad Ali Jinnah thought once that Kashmir was in his pocket, BJP has the same belief about Jammu. “It is up to Jammu people now whether they want to remain in BJP’s pocket or join the fight for dignity,” he said. “Jammu people ignored NC but NC didn’t ignore them and the party will show Kashmir and Jammu are of equal importance.”
Replying to a query that Jammu people have doubts whether they would have share in the governance, Dr Farooq said: “We didn’t ignore Jammu, but Jammu people ignored us. We will show Jammu that we will treat Kashmir and Jammu equally and there will be no injustice. Jammu is as dear to us as Kashmir is. Hope people of Jammu understand how dangerous the BJP is for them.”
He said the Jammu areas where people voted for BJP lack proper roads. About elections that gave a majority to NC, Dr Farooq said that it was a damn difficult election as all forces were against NC. “But people stood against all odds and defeated the designs. Now it is our responsibility to serve people back,” Dr Farooq said.
About the swearing in ceremony, he said INDIA alliance leaders have to come for a meeting after which there will be swearing in ceremony. “We have invited many leaders including Sonia Gandhi, former PM Devi Goda and other dignitaries,” he said. “But we have to meet first. The NC legislature party is meeting tomorrow and we will also meet Alliance partners. After that we will go to Rajbhawan to stake a claim on the government.”
On who was going to be the CM, Dr Farooq said he would like to see his son Omar as the CM of J&K. “But final decision will be taken by the Legislature party and the Alliance partner,” he said.
He said the huge responsibility on the shoulders of NC leaders is to pull out the J&K from the mess it has been plunged into for the past ten years. On nomination of five MLAs reportedly by the LG Manoj Sinha, Dr Farooq said he (LG) can’t do it as it will be unconstitutional. “If he still does, we will challenge it in the court of law,” he said. Asked who would be the CM, Dr Farooq said he wants his son to lead J&K but the final call will be taken after the Alliance meeting. NC got a huge mandate of 42 seats while as reports suggest that six legislators who fought independently in Jammu will also join the party shortly. BJP swept Jammu by bagging 29 seats. The elections witnessed the downfall of Congress that gained only six seats. PDP also shrunk to just 3 seats.
