SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday said elections in the State are not referendum or strategic victory and ruled out alliance with saffron party BJP.
“The election process in Jammu and Kashmir should not perceived as referendum or plebiscite,” Omar said while addressing probably the last press conference as CM here, a day before counting of votes for 87-member J&K Assembly, five phase elections of which concluded on Saturday.
He said the voter turnout should not be projected as strategic victory over Pakistan.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had recently stated that just-concluded assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are of immense strategic importance.
“I disagree with what the NSA said. He (NSA) has his own way of looking into things,” Omar said.
The J&K Chief Minister said State Assembly polls should not be looked like a plebiscite.
“It is not an election about India and Pakistan. If it is projected that way, then it is fraught with enormous risks and dangers and that is what separatists want,” he said adding in the elections, people voted to elect their Assembly members, who would govern the State for next six years.
On alliance with saffron party BJP, Omar, who is also working president of ruling National Conference, said one tweet can’t make an alliance.
He was referring to yesterday’s tweet that former Prime Atal Bihari Vajpayee should be given Bharat Ratna.
Omar said there was no politics in his tweet on Bharat Ratna to Vajapyee. “In the past too, we have been saying that Vajpayee should have been given Bharat Ratna. I and my father (Farooq Abdullah) raised this issue with UPA government also”.
He said he raised the issue because December 25 was the birthday of Vajpayee.
Asked whether his party can forge a post poll alliance with BJP, Omar said, “It is inconvincible for us to enter into an alliance with BJP. Though they were silent on sensitive issue like Article 370 during poll campaign but that does not mean the party has disassociated itself from the issue. The saffron party has not dissociated itself from issues like Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid and Common (Uniform) Civil Code.”
“Besides, there is also issue of forced conversions taking place in different parts of the country. In such a scenario it is difficult to reconcile and forge an alliance with BJP,” he said.
Asked whether communication lines have been opened with parties, Omar said, “There are no lines of communication between BJP or any other political party with us. We don’t have any communication with anybody at this point of time.”
“The onus of forming the government lies with the parties, who opposed us,” he said referring to PDP, the party whom exit polls are predicting to get 33-40 seats in the 87-member J&K Assembly.
The exit polls have predicted that Omar’s NC will be pushed to No 3 party in the State.
Asked whether he thinks he committed any blunder during his six-year-tenure, Omar replied in negative but said he regrets he could not get Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) lifted from the State, killing of 120 youth in summer unrest in 2010 and Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru’s hanging.