Jahangeer Ganaie
Anantnag, Oct 17: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the National Conference (NC) has asked its ally, Congress, to field a candidate from the Nagrota Assembly seat in the by-election, slated to be held next month. He added that the alienation with New Delhi will end once the statehood is restored.
Speaking to media persons in Anantnag here, the Chief Minister, said that a year has passed since the elected government took over. “However, a year has elapsed, but we still have four years left. The work is before the people, and we stick to our promises.”
Omar said the people should not judge them for a period of a week, a month or a year, but they have been given a time of five years, and hopefully they will fulfil their promises.
About the nomination of candidates for the by-election on two Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said there are still a few days left. “NC will contest from the Budgam seat while Congress has been asked to field its candidate from the Nagrota seat. We have assured our complete support to Congress if they want to field their candidate from Nagrota. Congress has sought consent from the high command, and if they get the approval, then they will file the nomination papers from Nagrota and Budgam will be left for NC,” he said.
About the regularisation for the daily wagers after the CPWs, the CM said that a committee has already been formed in the last assembly session, headed by the Chief Secretary. The committee has made progress in this regard. Once the report is filed, we will do whatever is needed,” he added.
Abdullah, however, refused to reply to the allegations made by the Congress leader Vikar Rasool Wani, who accused him of keeping Congress away at the directions of Home Minister Amit Shah. “Why are you wasting my time to reply to the accusation of a leader, who stood third in his constituency during the recent Assembly Polls,” he said.
Omar further said that the alienation between J&K and New Delhi will end once statehood is restored. “We are being deprived of statehood. The Business Rules are nowhere in sight. Advocate General is nowhere, and many organisations should have control of the elected government. In such a situation, there would be alienation,” he said.
“As the alienation was ended in the first year of our tenure, we expect it to be ended in the second year,” the Chief Minister said.
