Mir Farhat
Srinagar, Apr 26: Day after 28 per cent electorate voted in the Parliamentary elections in south Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that the elected representatives are not accountable to those people who boycott elections.
“I am accountable to people when they vote. If people do not vote, how am I accountable to them? And people can demand only when they participate. And I think it is an important lesson,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar.
Omar blamed his Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for engineering boycott in South Kashmir in Thursday’s elections so that they win. “When Mehbooba won the South Kashmir (in 2004) she won on 15 per cent turnout. Today, turnout is more than double (to that of 2004). If boycott benefits, it benefits Mehbooba because when we won the seat (in 2009) we won on 28 per cent turnout. So, please tell me who benefits from a boycott,” Omar said.
Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been blaming National Conference for killing the three village headmen in Tral and Gulzarpora in Pulwama district before people voted on Thursday to intimidate voters so that they boycott elections.
“But the only people who suffer from a boycott are the voters because the only way you can get accountability is by participation. When you do not vote then who are you accountable to,” Omar said, adding that yet they work for everyone despite people not voting for them.
To a question that NC has been contesting these elections by making BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Article 370 their main campaigning plank than developments issues, Omar said that the ongoing Parliamentary elections are not for development issues but about electing a Prime Minister.
“We are campaigning on all issues. But this election is not about bijli , sadak and pani. This election is about electing a member who is going to choose a Prime Minister. For bijli, sadak and pani, people will decide in Assembly elections in November,” he said.
Earlier PDP leader, Aga Syed Mehmood joined the NC, just three days ahead of the elections for Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary seat and the move is aimed at getting Shia votes in Budgam and Srinagar.
However, Omar said: “Aga Sahab has come back home and he has not come to make any sell out.”
Two renowned Shia leaders Aga Abdul Hussain and Aga Syed Mohsin, both are uncles of NC MLA Aga Ruhullah, are contesting on ongoing Parliamentary elections from Srinagar and Baramulla seats and they are supposed to cut NC’s Shia vote share.
Omar blamed PDP patron Mufti Sayeed for pitting families against each other for “his political benefits.”
“How much vote share these two candidates will cut will be declared on May 16. But Mufti Sahab’s old habit of burning any home for his own political benefit has not gone. He used the same tactics in 1984 by using Khalida Sahiba against his brother, Farooq Sahab, for his own benefit and for which we are still paying for,” Omar said.
The NC working president also refused that Congress workers have voted against them in south Kashmir. “If anybody has seen them voting against us, I will file a complaint to the Election Commission,” Omar retorted when asked that media has reported that Congress voters ditched NC in south Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah also said the euphoria in BJP over roping in Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s “unknown” brother Daljit Singh Kohli showed mind-boggling logic at work.
“The PM weakens the UPA, yet somehow we are to believe that his unknown brother will strengthen BJP. Mind-boggling logic at work here!” Omar wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.Com.
Referring to BJP’s criticism of Singh as a weak Prime Minister, Omar said the national Opposition party cannot have it both ways.
“The BJP goes to town calling the PM irrelevant, yet makes a song and dance of his brother joining them. How can they have it both ways?” he questioned.
Singh’s half-brother, Daljit Singh Kohli, yesterday joined BJP in the presence of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel