Srinagar, 19-03-2024 : Omar Abdullah, the Vice President of the National Conference, raised significant questions on Tuesday regarding the feasibility of conducting simultaneous elections across the nation under the ‘one nation, one election’ initiative. He pointedly queried how the government could aspire to implement such a plan when it currently faced obstacles in holding parallel elections in Jammu and Kashmir due to security concerns.
Omar Abdullah highlighted remarks made by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who indicated that the Jammu and Kashmir administration had cited security challenges as a barrier to organizing Assembly polls and expressed the need for additional security forces. In response, Omar Abdullah questioned the government’s capacity to manage simultaneous elections in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar if it struggled with security arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar Abdullah emphasized that the Election Commission of India had a window of opportunity to conduct Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, but the administration seemed reluctant to pursue it. He criticized the administration, accusing it of holding onto power and obstructing the democratic process. However, he expressed gratitude towards the Supreme Court for setting a deadline of September 30 for conducting Assembly polls in the region.
This recent criticism from Omar Abdullah marks the second instance within two days where he has publicly condemned the administration under Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha. Previously, while launching his party’s election campaign in Kulgam district of south Kashmir, Omar Abdullah accused the current government of sabotaging the electoral process to maintain control and suppress the will of the people.
When questioned about potential candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Omar Abdullah clarified that the party was not rushing to announce names, indicating a cautious approach amidst the prevailing political climate.