Vote for future, not dynasties: Sunil Sharma

Budgam, Nov 8: Stating that the National Conference (NC) was not worth forming the government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LOP) in J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, called upon the people of Budgam to “vote for the future, not for the dynasties.”

Addressing a gathering in Budgam, Sharma launched a scathing attack on the NC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of “holding J&K hostage to family rule for decades.”

He said that even though the BJP had been working in J&K for over 30 years, the party had not won a single seat from Kashmir in the past elections.

“For the last 30 years, we have gone to every street and village carrying the party flag. Our schemes have reached the poor, yet the people didn’t give us a seat. For the past nine months, I have been studying why. What is our fault? What is our sin?” Sharma said.

He said that the real obstacle to political progress in Kashmir was not ideology but “two political families” who had treated the state as their personal estate.

“It is not about parties, it’s about two families: the Abdullahs and the Muftis. These two families are not afraid of anyone except the BJP,” Sharma said. “For them, BJP is the only enemy.”

He accused the NC and PDP of spreading fear among voters by branding the BJP as “anti-Kashmir.” “They go among the people and say the BJP is the enemy of Kashmir. I ask the people of Kashmir to vote with their conscience. Are you voting for your children’s future or just to keep BJP out of power?” he said.

The BJP leader alleged that both the NC and PDP maintain double standards in their political dealings. “When in Srinagar, they call BJP the enemy, but in Delhi, they meet and dine with our leaders,” Sharma said.

Recalling the 2014 assembly elections, he said both Abdullahs and Muftis were in a “race” to form the government with the BJP’s support.

“Even Omar Abdullah tried to form a government in 2024, but the BJP refused. We respected the people’s verdict and chose to sit in opposition rather than join hands with these corrupt dynasties,” the BJP leader said.

He highlighted alleged corruption scandals under the NC and PDP governments.

“Omar Abdullah says he had no power, but who gave him the power to commit scandals worth crores?” Sharma said, referring to the “J&K Cricket Association scam” and alleged irregularities in the J&K Bank and the R&B Department. “These families looted public money while the youth of Kashmir remained unemployed.”

Calling for a “new beginning” in Kashmir, he urged the people to reject “dynastic politics” and vote for “development, transparency, and youth empowerment.”

“The time has come to end politics of fear and deceit. Give your vote to the BJP, for your future, for your children’s future, and for the progress of J&K,” the BJP leader said.