Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed dismay over the lack of clarity surrounding the INDIA alliance, stating that if it was intended only for the upcoming parliamentary elections, it should be dissolved.
In response to a question about remarks by an RJD leader suggesting that the INDIA bloc was formed solely for the Lok Sabha elections, Abdullah said that no time frame had been established for the alliance’s duration.
He also noted that the alliance had not convened a meeting to discuss future plans. “If this alliance was only for the parliamentary elections, it should be wound up, and we will work separately. But if it is meant for Assembly elections as well, we will have to sit together and work collectively,” Abdullah told reporters in Jammu.
The National Conference leader further expressed concerns about the unclear leadership and agenda within the alliance. “There is no clarity on the main leadership, the party, or the future strategy. Whether this alliance will continue is also unclear,” he said, adding that the members of the INDIA bloc may be called for a meeting after the Delhi elections to provide more clarity.
When asked about the growing support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of next month’s Delhi Assembly elections, Abdullah refrained from commenting, noting that the party had no involvement in the Delhi polls. “AAP, Congress, and other political parties on the ground will decide how to compete with the BJP strongly,” he said. He acknowledged that AAP had been successful in Delhi in the past and said, “This time, we will have to wait and see what the people of Delhi decide.”
Abdullah was speaking after an orientation programme for newly-elected members of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
“Many of us have been members of this House before, but that was when Jammu and Kashmir was a state. The system is different today. We need to understand how we are going to work and what the powers of this Assembly are,” he added.
The session included participation from the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, with Abdullah expressing confidence that the orientation would help the newly-elected MLAs better represent their constituencies.