Omar Abdullah warns INDIA bloc “on life support,” says infighting and poor strategy pushing alliance towards ICU

New Delhi, Dec 6: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah delivered a candid and sharply worded assessment of the opposition INDIA bloc’s current state, saying the alliance is “on life support” and risks being “wheeled into the ICU” if it does not confront internal divisions and match the BJP’s intense electoral focus. Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi, Abdullah offered an unsparing analysis of the bloc’s organisational shortcomings and strategic lapses, particularly in the wake of the recent Bihar elections.

Reflecting on the INDIA bloc’s fluctuating fortunes, Abdullah said the alliance had shown moments of revival only to relapse after electoral setbacks. “We’re sort of on life support,” he remarked, “and every so often, someone jolts us back to life. But then results like Bihar happen, and we fall again, needing to be pushed into the ICU.” He argued that the opposition itself bears responsibility for Bihar’s political shifts, adding that the bloc’s actions and miscalculations effectively pushed Nitish Kumar back into the NDA fold.

Abdullah criticized the alliance’s decision-making processes, pointing specifically to the exclusion of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha from seat-sharing discussions in Bihar. He said such inconsistencies prevented the INDIA bloc from functioning as a coherent political grouping capable of countering a highly organized and disciplined ruling party.

Drawing a stark contrast, Abdullah said the BJP’s campaigning strength goes far beyond financial and organisational advantages. “They have an unparalleled election machine,” he observed. “They fight every election as if their lives depend on it. We sometimes fight elections as if we don’t care.” Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s relentless political rhythm, he noted that the BJP shifts gears immediately after one election ends, while the opposition tends to engage only months before polls, often rushing to finalize alliances at the last minute.

Looking ahead, Abdullah said that the only viable path for the opposition is to rally around the Congress, describing it as the sole party aside from the BJP with a national footprint. He said regional parties, including his own, cannot shoulder the burden of leading a nationwide political challenge. “The heavy lifting will have to be done by the Congress,” he said.

Abdullah also urged political parties to stop taking Muslim voters for granted, suggesting that communities are shifting toward parties like AIMIM because they feel under-engaged during non-election periods. “Engagement must be continuous, not episodic,” he noted.

On the question of the 2024 Lok Sabha results, Abdullah rejected the notion that they were a fluke. Instead, he said the electorate had sent a clear message to the Centre that dissatisfaction was rising. He added that the government’s post-election shift towards a more coalition-like approach showed that its leadership had understood this signal. He pointed out that the BJP itself now emphasizes the NDA label, signalling an awareness of the need for broader political accommodation.

Abdullah once again distanced himself from allegations that EVMs are rigged, noting humorously that on this issue he disagrees with his father, Farooq Abdullah. While rejecting claims of machine tampering, he urged vigilance against electoral manipulation through means such as flawed voter lists and constituency restructuring. Pointing to Jammu and Kashmir’s recent delimitation exercise, he said it amounted to manipulation aimed at benefiting a particular party and its ally. He warned that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls must be conducted transparently to avoid eroding public faith.