Srinagar, Apr 12 (UNI) National Conference on Friday announced candidates from two constituencies from Kashmir with the party vice president Omar Abdullah contesting from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.
The party also announced influential Shia leader Aga Ruhullah as the party candidate from Srinagar.
The names of candidates were announced by party President Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar at a press conference.
The announcement came days after Congress and the NC announced contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in alliance, with each fielding candidates in three seats. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the Congress would contest in Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats, the National Conference would field candidates in Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla.
The NC vice president Omar told reporters that their fight this time is not against any individual.
“My fight in north Kashmir is not against any candidate, but against those forces who are standing behind this candidate and are supporting him. Our fight in south Kashmir, central and north Kashmir is against BJP and the central government. That is why our party decided that I should contest from north Kashmir because the central government and BJP are using full force in north Kashmir. I want these forces to be defeated in north Kashmir. That is why the party thought it right to and I was asked to contest from north and Aga Ruhllah from central Kashmir,”,” Omar said.
Omar challenges BJP to field its candidates in Kashmir.
"Let BJP field its candidates directly on three seats of Kashmir and not support their proxy teams and candidates. If they don't lose their security deposit, I will leave politics," Omar said.
Regarding his candidature from North Kashmir instead of Srinagar, Omar said, “The last Assembly seat I represented (Beerwah) is now in the North, so it should not be a surprise that I am contesting from Baramulla.”
When asked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Udhampur on Friday announced that Assembly elections will soon be held in Jammu and Kashmir and Statehood will also be restored, the NC Vice President said it was no favour.
“Supreme Court has given a verdict on Assembly elections in J&K and he is not giving any favour. The favour would have been when he (PM ) would have given elections before the SC verdict. This is their compulsion now. As far as statehood is concerned, we are yet not able to understand why it was snatched,” the former chief minister said.
Omar said that BJP’s agenda on Article 370 was known, but downgrading J&K from a state to a union territory was unfair to the people here.
“ They ( centre) were not even able to explain ( downgrading of state to UT) even before the Supreme Court,” he said.
UNI MJR BD