Vote for NC candidates in RS polls, abstaining will help BJP: Omar

Srinagar, Oct 14 (PTI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday appealed to non-BJP parties to vote for the National Conference candidates in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls, saying abstaining from the polls would benefit the BJP.

Biennial elections to fill the four RS seats in Jammu and Kashmir, lying vacant since 2021, will be held on October 24.

"I appeal to political parties not to stay away from the elections and prove that they are against the BJP because there are only two parties contesting the polls -- BJP and National Conference," Abdullah told reporters in Baramulla district.

The chief minister said the National Conference candidates earlier in the day appealed to PDP, AIP and People's Conference to vote for them in the elections.

Asked about People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone announcing abstention from polls, Abdullah suggested it will benefit the BJP.

"What are his (Lone) compulsions only he would know. But we will need everyone's support to ensure that National Conference wins all the seats and BJP wins none".

Responding to Lone's charge that National Conference was helping BJP win one seat, Abdullah dismissed the allegation saying why would his party field a candidate for the fourth seat if that was the case.

"Had that been the case, we would not have fielded a candidate and comprised. There is some difference between my politics and Sajad (Lone's) politics," he said.

Abdullah said his party firmly believed that Congress has the best chance to win the fourth seat but they chose not to field a candidate.

"If Sajad is against the BJP, then he should vote for our candidate. By staying away, it is benefitting the BJP. We felt Congress was best suited to win the fourth seat because it would have been easier for PDP to vote for Congress and the PDP is part of the INDIA alliance," he added.

Abdullah said although National Conference and PDP had fought the assembly elections against each other last year, he expected the latter to vote for his party candidates to keep the BJP out. PTI MIJ SKY SKY