Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday asserted that if the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was created only for the Lok Sabha elections then the alliance should be wound up so its constituents can continue to work in their individual capacity.
Reacting to RDJ leader Tejashwi Yadav’s remark that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha elections only, Abdullah told reporters, “As far as I recall, there was no time limit attached to it. Unfortunately, no meetings of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc are being called. So, there is no clarity - neither on the leadership nor the agenda or whether we will remain there in the future or not”.
Yadav’s assertion had come in the backdrop of two major constituents of the bloc - Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) - contesting the Delhi Assembly elections separately.
Abdullah whose NC is also a constituent of the bloc said, “We have nothing to do with the Delhi elections. The AAP, the Congress, and other parties which are on the ground may decide how best the BJP can be fought against in these elections.”
He added, “The AAP has won the Delhi elections twice. We have to wait to see what the verdict of the people this time will be.”
He hoped that after the Delhi Assembly elections, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc would meet to decide the future strategy. He said, “Perhaps, after the Delhi polls all the I.N.D.I.A. bloc constituents will be invited to a meeting and there is clarity. If it was only for the Parliament elections, wind it up so that we can continue to work separately. If this was also for the Assembly elections, then we will have to work together”.
However, the NC president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah said those claiming the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha elections only should come out of this misconception. He asserted that the basic aim of forging the alliance was to strengthen the country by putting up a united fight against the divisive forces.
“The alliance is not just about contesting elections. It was formed to strengthen the country and put an end to hatred within. Those who believe this alliance exists only for Parliamentary elections are mistaken. The alliance is permanent. It is for every day and every moment,” he said.
