NC will announce candidates' list after 1st notification: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Aug 18: National Conference vice-president and former chief minister J&K Omar Abdullah Sunday stated that the party will announce its candidates for the Assembly elections after the notification for the first phase of the three-phased polls.

“It is just two days ago the schedule for polls has been announced. Let us give some time. We are on job. As the notification for the first phase will come up on August 20, we will announce our candidates accordingly,” Omar Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.

Notably the notification for the first phase is scheduled to be issued on August 20, the polling is scheduled to take place on September 18.

While replying to a query the NC leader vice-president said, “The BJP has set a new example of overconfidence. Once they were giving the slogan of 400-par in the Lok Sabha polls. Then they talked about 370 seats, but where did they stop. At 240. It is better for BJP not to talk about overconfidence”.

“I have only said that we are hopeful that if the people support us and we get an opportunity to govern. We are not counting the number of seats which BJP always has, I remember in 2014 Assembly elections, they said 45 seats. It does not behove the BJP to talk about this. Let them talk about themselves, and let us talk about ourselves,” he added.

The NC leader was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event wherein a former PDP legislator from Karnah, Javid Mirchal joined the NC. He was welcomed by Abdullah and other senior functionaries of the party.

Hailing Mirchal’s wisdom, Omar said that it is the good fortune of the NC that such a leader, who is connected with the people and has a close relation with them, today joined our party. “It is also a sign of which way the wind is blowing,” he held.