People’s Conference (PC) Chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday announced that he will not vote for the National Conference (NC) candidates in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, accusing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and betraying Congress.
Lone said he recently came across a video in which the Chief Minister claimed that anyone not supporting the NC in the Rajya Sabha polls was effectively supporting the BJP. He criticized the statement, saying it unfairly painted even Congress and other opposition parties as BJP supporters — calling it “astonishing and misleading.”
Recalling past political events, Lone accused the NC, particularly Omar Abdullah, of misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the 2024 elections.
“We lost the elections and our expectations were shattered. How many times must we be blamed for the same thing?” he questioned.
Lone further challenged the Chief Minister to prove that the denial of a Rajya Sabha seat to Congress was not done at BJP’s behest. He also alleged that Omar Abdullah had traveled to Delhi under suspicious circumstances prior to the abrogation of Article 370, accusing him of “backstabbing Congress.”
“There is only one party that is truly anti-BJP — and that is Congress,” Lone asserted. “The NC has collaborated with BJP before, but Congress never has. On the issue of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, only Congress can play a decisive role since BJP is unwilling.”
The PC Chairman accused Omar Abdullah of damaging his party’s credibility by breaking trust with Congress despite receiving their support during the 2024 elections.
“You must now prove you’re not with BJP,” he said, adding that NC’s recent actions “only serve the BJP’s interests.”
Lone declared that he would never vote for the National Conference, either ideologically or practically, citing a deep mistrust of the party’s leadership.
He also highlighted the struggles faced by common Kashmiris under the current administration, narrating an incident where a worker’s mother was denied a transfer despite severe illness.
Questioning Omar Abdullah’s leadership, Lone referred to his “close interactions with BJP leaders” and asked, “What could be better news for BJP than you denying Congress the seat?”
