With elections just a month away and none of the Abdullahs in Parliament in many years, there is growing pressure on Mr. Omar to contest the upcoming Assembly elections. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Abdullahs, who head J&K’s 85-year-old National Conference (NC), are grappling with a moral position taken by Omar Abdullah, on not contesting elections in the Union Territory (UT) till Statehood is restored.
With elections just a month away and none of the Abdullahs in Parliament in many years, there is growing pressure on Mr. Omar to contest the upcoming Assembly elections. “The entire NC leadership has requested Omar Abdullah to contest elections. It’s the party’s parliamentary board that will decide on the Chief Ministerial candidate for the coming Assembly elections,” senior NC leader Ajay Sadhotra said.
Mr. Abdullah had decided not to contest Assembly elections in a UT with a “powerless Chief Minister”. He made the announcement immediately after the Centre ended special status of J&K that Mr. Abdullah’s grandfather Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah negotiated with former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947 by supporting the Instrument of Accession and later provisions of Article 370.
Senior Abdullah, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, is Mr. Omar to join the fray “for a greater role”. Dr. Abdullah, who could not contest Parliament elections due to health reasons, on Saturday announced decision to contest the upcoming elections, apparently in a bid to pressure his son.
“I will contest the Assembly polls. Once the Statehood is restored, I will step down and Omar Abdullah will contest from the seat,” Dr. Abdullah said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Omar has softened his earlier stand. “I am facing a very tough situation. What makes it difficult is the health condition of my father. The party leaders will be meeting and a final decision will be taken in a few days,” Mr. Omar.
Both Mr. Omar and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti had announced decision not to contest elections in J&K, which was downgraded to a UT in 2019.
