Srinagar, Oct 14: In a sharp escalation of political hostilities ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) President and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone, accused the National Conference (NC) of “acting at the behest of the BJP” by denying a Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress. Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Lone declared that his party would abstain from voting in the October 24 elections, emphasizing that the NC had “lost moral credibility” and “betrayed the spirit of the opposition alliance.”
“I would rather die than vote for the National Conference,” Lone said, visibly agitated. “Stop dictating to us who we should or should not vote for. You cannot label us, nor do you have the moral authority to lecture others about loyalty. You are not Yuvraj,” he added, responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent remarks that the Rajya Sabha elections would test who stood with or against the BJP.
Lone accused the NC of hypocrisy and political manipulation, claiming that the party’s refusal to allocate a safe seat to the Congress was done “on direct instructions from the BJP.” He challenged the NC leadership to publicly prove that it was not working in coordination with the ruling party at the Centre. “The NC stands exposed. They must prove to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that their decision was not dictated by Delhi. They must show that they are not sitting in the BJP’s lap,” Lone asserted.
The JKPC leader further targeted Omar Abdullah’s administrative record, describing him as an “ineffective leader” more concerned with preserving power than addressing governance failures. “Everyone knows he cannot manage administration, yet he has mastered the art of posturing. He brands others as BJP sympathizers while secretly aligning with them,” Lone said.
Accusing the NC of “functioning as a BJP proxy,” Lone said the party had repeatedly compromised the political aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir for its own survival. “You have sacrificed your principles for proximity to power. You deny seats to allies, manipulate alliances, and yet claim to be defenders of democracy. You have built your politics on deceit,” he charged.
Drawing a contrast between the Congress and the NC, Lone said the Congress had, at the national level, consistently taken a stand against the BJP’s policies and remained committed to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “Congress has always resisted the BJP’s agenda. It is the only party with a national reach that can genuinely work for the restoration of J&K’s dignity and constitutional rights. Yet the NC chooses to humiliate them. We respect the Congress, but we will never vote for the NC,” he stated.
Lone also questioned Omar Abdullah’s political past, alleging that his association with the BJP dated back to his tenure as a minister in the Vajpayee government. “He traveled the world defending the BJP’s policies and justifying the violence in Kashmir. The people of Jammu and Kashmir voted for a leader but got a political emissary of Delhi. The office of the Chief Minister has been reduced to an extension of central power. It will take years to rebuild public faith in that institution,” he said.
Reaffirming his party’s independent stance, Lone made it clear that the Peoples Conference would neither support the NC nor align with the BJP in any form. “We will abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. But let it be known clearly, we will not vote for either the National Conference or the BJP. For us, they are two sides of the same coin,” he said.
Lone’s remarks come amid widening fissures within the INDIA opposition bloc in Jammu and Kashmir, following the NC’s refusal to concede a seat to the Congress despite earlier assurances. Political observers believe the episode has not only strained the alliance’s unity but also exposed the fragile nature of opposition cooperation in the Union Territory.
As the Rajya Sabha polls draw closer, Lone’s fiery attack signals a potential realignment in J&K’s political landscape, where ideological lines are increasingly blurred by electoral compulsions.