Separatists joining elections shows ideological change: Omar Abdullah

Kangan, Sep 02: National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah Monday said that the decision of separatists to join mainstream political parties and contest polls in Jammu and Kashmir shows an ideological change in them.

Talking to media persons after accompanying party candidate Mian Mehar Ali to file his nomination papers in Kangan, Abdullah said that this was an ideological change in the separatists.

“Earlier, they (separatists) would raise the boycott call whenever elections were held. Today they are contesting polls. It shows that there has been an ideological change,” he said. “Separatists contesting the polls vindicated the stand of the NC that violence will not resolve any issues and democratic process is the only way to achieve anything.”

Abdullah said: “We have maintained it all along since 1990 that whatever we can achieve will be achieved through democratic ways. For that, some people criticised and targeted the NC. However, now our stand has been vindicated.”

Referring to the statement of former Governor Satya Pal Malik on the appointment of Ram Madhav to oversee the BJP election campaign in J&K, Abdullah said, “The former governor had very close ties with the ruling party at the Centre. He would know better. He was sent here by the BJP and whatever happened in 2019, happened under his watch.”

On whether Madhav was sent to Jammu and Kashmir to stitch up an alliance with the PDP, he said only the BJP can say anything on this with authority.

“However, there are no two opinions that Madhav has best relations with the PDP. And it was he who brought the PDP and the BJP on the same platform in 2014 to form an alliance. Perhaps, he has been brought back for the same purpose,” Abdullah said.

Earlier, accompanied by his father and Member of Parliament (MP) Mian Altaf Ahmad and NC Vice President Omar Abdullah besides a large number of supporters, NC candidate Mian Mehar Ali filed his nomination papers at the office of the Returning Officer Kangan-17 on Monday.

On the occasion, Abdullah expressed hope of Ali’s victory and of him carrying his family’s legacy to serve the people of Kangan.

“This is the fourth generation member of the Mian family who is going to contest the elections and hopefully he will continue the legacy of serving his people, particularly the people of Kangan,” he said.

Abdullah said that election results were hard work and depended on God’s will and how a leader could convince his people that he would serve them well for the next five years.

He said that Mian Mehar Ali would come to the expectations of the people and serve in the best possible way.

Ali is a fourth-generation politician from the influential Mian family.

He is stepping into the fray from his family bastion represented by his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather since 1957.

Ali’s father Mian Altaf has been a five-time Member of the Legislative Assembly, continuously winning the assembly polls from Kangan constituency since 1987.

Altaf recently emerged winner in his parliamentary poll debut from the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency defeating former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti by a huge margin of 2,81,749 votes.

Altaf polled 5,21,836 votes while Mehbooba bagged 2,40,042 votes.

The winning of Mian Altaf in the parliamentary polls paved the way for his son to jump into the electoral fray.