No intention to join NDA: Omar

Srinagar, Feb 15: Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President, Omar Abdullah Thursday said that his party had no intention of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Addressing reporters, he dismissed reports suggesting a possible NC-BJP alliance, emphasising that such claims were part of efforts to undermine his party’s growing strength.

“There is no room or inclination for us to align with the NDA. We are not seeking their support, and there is no scenario where we would consider joining them,” Omar said.

Regarding the upcoming assembly elections, he said that the NC’s goal was to secure enough seats to reverse the changes implemented by the BJP.

“Our objective is to return to the assembly with a significant number of seats so that we can begin reversing the damage inflicted by the BJP since 2019. This goal necessitates that we distance ourselves from the NDA,” Omar said.

He clarified that NC President Farooq Abdullah’s comments on seat-sharing with the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the NC’s stance of going solo in the upcoming Parliament elections were misinterpreted.

“Our party president simply expressed the sentiment of our cadre that the NC should contest the polls independently. Regarding seat-sharing, our stance has been clear from the start. Out of the six Lok Sabha seats in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, three belong to the NC and three to the BJP. We are willing to discuss seat-sharing with the Congress for the three seats currently held by the BJP,” Omar said.

He dismissed the possibility of discussing seat-sharing in Kashmir, as those seats were already held by the NC.

“If the INDIA alliance aims to thwart the BJP, then there is no need to contest for seats that are already part of the alliance. If the goal is to strengthen the Congress, then they have misunderstood the purpose of the alliance,” he said.