Srinagar, Sept 30: Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of using anti-BJP rhetoric as a political tool to mislead the people of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the upcoming by-elections. Sharma dismissed Omar’s recent remarks, ruling out any political alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as nothing more than “an election stunt designed to deceive voters.”
“Omar Abdullah is playing the same old card again. His anti-BJP statements are part of his election toolkit to befool Kashmiris,” Sharma said. He reminded people that Omar, who today presents himself as a staunch opponent of the BJP, had “gone out of his way to praise BJP leaders” after the 2024 Assembly elections. “During the 2024 elections, he portrayed himself as an anti-BJP warrior. But once the elections were over, he changed his tone and started lauding our leadership,” Sharma said.
Omar Abdullah, while addressing a gathering in South Kashmir earlier in the day, had ruled out forming any political alliance with the BJP for the sake of statehood restoration. “After the last assembly elections, I too had the option of aligning with the BJP. Like Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti did in 2015 and 2016, I could have chosen to form a government with them. Maybe statehood would have come sooner. But I chose to keep the BJP out of power in J&K. We may have to wait longer, but we will not allow them to enter the government through us,” Omar said.
Sharma ridiculed the remarks, saying they are part of a calculated political script aimed at gaining sympathy in the run-up to the by-elections, particularly in the Budgam segment, where the National Conference is under pressure. “He will intensify such statements in the coming weeks to divert attention from his government’s failures. The NC-led administration has failed on every front over the past 11 months, from providing free electricity and 12 gas cylinders to fulfilling the promise of one lakh jobs,” Sharma said.
Taking a swipe at Omar’s political history, Sharma reminded people that the National Conference leader had once been part of a BJP-led government. “Omar Abdullah talks about keeping the BJP away, but everyone knows he served as a minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. Every major party in Kashmir has aligned with the BJP at some point,” he asserted.
Sharma also accused Omar Abdullah of exploiting Article 370 to win elections and mislead the electorate. “He befooled the people of Kashmir in the name of Article 370. The BJP is not desperate for power, unlike those who were desperate to form an alliance with us after being rejected by Kashmiris in the 2014 elections,” he added.
The Leader of Opposition said the BJP remains committed to playing the role of a constructive opposition, holding the government accountable and highlighting the missteps of the NC-led administration. “We will continue to expose their failures and stand by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Our politics is about service, not desperation for power,” Sharma asserted.