LS Polls-2024 | Local leaders or Delhi’s representatives, choice is yours: Omar Abdullah to voters

Baramulla, May 2:  National Conference (NC) Vice President and former chief minister Omar Abdullah Thursday said that the voters in Kashmir had to decide whether they wanted to send their representatives to Delhi or Delhi's representatives to Delhi.

Addressing a public rally at Prof Shoukat Ali Stadium after filing his nomination papers at the office of Returning Officer (RO) Baramulla, Abdullah said that in the Lok Sabha elections, NC was not in competition with an individual but it was fighting directly against the power of New Delhi, New Delhi's government, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from Nagpur.

“In elections, the voter must assess the candidate and then vote accordingly. In the Baramulla constituency, voters from all four districts have to make a simple decision: Whether they want to send their representative to Delhi or Delhi's representative to Delhi. That is all they have to decide,” he said.

The Baramulla Lok Sabha (LS) constituency comprises four districts.

Apart from the Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora districts, two assembly segments - Budgam and Beerwah - also fall in the Baramulla parliament constituency.

“I have fought against Pakistan’s Generals in previous elections and achieved success, and now in this election, the power of Delhi is opposing us. God willing, we will defeat this power in this election. We are fighting for justice, for our identity, and for our future,” Abdullah said.

Taking a dig at the political parties who supported the postponement of Anantnag-Rajouri parliament polls, he said that after leaving Srinagar in the morning with two vehicles including his own and his son’s vehicle, the journey continued until they reached Baramulla.

“By the time we reached Baramulla, the caravan had extended to about 3 km. Now, looking at this caravan, I have concerns that after witnessing the caravan, these people and parties might push for the postponement of elections in Baramulla the way Anantnag-Rajouri elections were postponed in a conspiracy,” Abdullah said.

However, he said that there would be no benefit in postponing the election in Baramulla.

“Whenever elections are held - today, tomorrow, or any other day - God willing, victory will be ours,” he said.

Earlier addressing media persons outside the office of RO Baramulla soon after filing his nomination papers, Abdullah said that their stance was clear to ask for votes from people against what happened to Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

“We are not alone in this but our comrades are with us in this fight. This parliamentary election is important as these are being held for the first time after 2019,” he said.

Abdullah said that in this Lok Sabha polls, they were hopeful that the INDIA bloc would win all the five seats in J&K and the seat of Ladakh as well.

“BJP has a habit of involving religion during elections. They have been given a free hand by the ECI to use religion in elections. Model Code of Conduct is enforced on us and we are asked not to violate it while this directive is not enforced on the BJP,” he said.

Abdullah said that BJP’s star campaigners only use religion and spread hatred in the country during their election campaigns.

“They are trying to create division between the 14 percent minority population of the country and the majority community,” he said.

About his message to the voters of the Baramulla constituency, Abdullah said he had been given the responsibilities of all three Parliament constituencies of Kashmir (Baramulla, Srinagar, and Anantnag).

"With Allah’s blessings, I will fulfil my responsibilities to the best of my capacity," he said.

Abdullah said that the people of Kupwara, one of the segments of the Baramulla constituency, know his way of working.

“The other day when I came to meet the people affected by floods in Kupwara district, my opponent, about whom a lot of noise is being created, was forced to come out in the night suit after hearing that I had reached Kupwara,” he said alluding to his rival, Sajad Gani Lone of the Peoples Conference.