Farooq Abdullah said he is not against receiving support from independents, but he will not “beg” for it. Abdullah said if they feel they can strengthen the state, they are welcome. This should be your initiative. They should do good to people.
Ahead of the counting of votes for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said his party is not against taking support from Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP to form the government in the Union Territory. Staying out of the race for the Chief Minister’s post, Abdullah said full statehood should be restored to Jammu and Kashmir so that the new government has the power to resolve the problems of the people.
“Statehood must be restored,” he said. Full statehood, where the government has the authority to act. I will not be the Chief Minister. This should be clear. I have done the job of Chief Minister. My problem is how we can form a strong government and fulfill the agenda that we have presented to the people.”
Asked if the National Conference-Congress alliance would seek support from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) if necessary, Abdullah said: “Why not?” He said, “What difference does it make? If we all work for the same thing, improve the condition of the people of the state, eliminate unemployment, eliminate all the problems that have occurred in the last 10 years. The first thing we must do is restore freedom of the press. We should have the right to say what is true and what is false. We may be rivals in the elections, but I have no objections and I am sure Congress will have no objections either.”
The president of the National Conference said that he was not averse to receiving the support of independents, but that he would not “beg” for it. “If they feel they can strengthen the state, they are welcome,” Abdullah said. This should be your initiative. “It should do good to people.”
Regarding exit polls, Abdullah said he is not enthusiastic about these exercises. He said: “Exit polls can be both right and wrong. When the polls are opened and the votes are counted, the truth will come to light. We are hopeful that the alliance will form a stable government. This is what we want.” Abdullah also criticized the BJP-led Center for ignoring Jammu.
He said, “I have just returned from Jammu and have seen the bad conditions of Jammu. I have seen bad roads there, there are no street lights and yet they (BJP) believe that Jammu is in their pocket. The people of Jammu should understand where they have been taken. They used to abuse us saying that the National Conference government had discriminated against Jammu. Today his people are sitting in Delhi. How did they forget about Jammu?
