We will never go with BJP to form government: Farooq Abdullah

SRINAGAR: Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday ruled out the possibility of his party cobbling up an alliance with the BJP to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Never…question doesn’t arise. We will never forge an alliance with them (BJP) to form a government in J&K,” he said here. He added that joining hands with the BJP tantamount to committing political suicide by whoever does it. “Any party that will side with BJP will vanish in J&K,” he said.

He also said that the vote in the recently held J&K Assembly elections has gone in favour of the NC-Congress combine and against the BJP “but let the results be declared on October 8 which will make it clear who has won and who has lost.”

On the Haryana elections, he said the Congress will emerge victorious as the people “who have borne the brunt of present dispensation” have decided to show the BJP the door.

Meanwhile, PDP leader Iltija Mufti has said that the government to be formed in J&K following the Assembly elections will be a "toothless tiger" and its chief minister a "rubber stamp" and "glorified mayor" of a "municipality".

“With LG ‘nominating’ 5 MLAs & Chief Secretary changing transaction of business rules it's clear that the incoming government will be a toothless tiger. How much more will GOI possibly strip J&K of any semblance of authority & autonomy? Rubberstamp CM = Glorified mayor of a municipality’”, she wrote on ‘X’ on Saturday.

36-year-old Iltija who is also media advisor to her mother and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is part of a new generation of leaders which is trying to shape up politics in J&K. She contested the Assembly polls from Bijbehara in Anantnag district.