Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah emphatically declared that his party would not forge an alliance with the BJP to expedite the return of statehood to the Union Territory. He stated firmly that his party has no desire to repeat the “mistakes” made by others in previous political formations.
Abdullah challenged the national party, stating that if the restoration of statehood is truly contingent on the BJP forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir, they should be upfront and honest about it. He highlighted that the BJP’s manifesto, parliamentary statements, and commitments to the Supreme Court have never explicitly linked statehood to their party being in power in J&K.
“If that’s the unspoken agreement being presented to the people, then the BJP needs to be transparent,” Abdullah urged. “They should clearly tell us that as long as a non-BJP government is in charge in J&K, statehood will be withheld. Then, we can make our decisions accordingly.”
Despite the importance of statehood, Mr. Abdullah unequivocally ruled out any form of alliance or collaboration with the BJP. When asked directly at a press conference about such a possibility, he responded with a clear “No.”
He pointed to the previous PDP-BJP alliance formed in 2015, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is “still reeling from the consequences” of that partnership. “We have witnessed firsthand the damage that an unnecessary alliance between the PDP and the BJP caused in 2015. We are still suffering from its after-effects. I have absolutely no intention of repeating the errors that others have previously committed,” the Chief Minister concluded.