SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday firmly dismissed any possibility of the National Conference (NC) forming an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Union Territory.
Responding to speculation triggered by BJP legislator R.S. Pathaniaโs remarks hinting at a potential understanding between the two parties, Abdullah stated, โThere is no discussion on any alliance with the BJP, nor is there any necessity or scope for it. Our ideologies do not align. When it comes to Jammu and Kashmir, our perspectives are completely different.โ
Abdullah also emphasized that issues such as statehood would be deliberated in the ongoing budget session of the Assembly.
In December 2024, the NC had categorically denied any intention of joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), rejecting a media report suggesting otherwise.
Tanvir Sadiq, the partyโs chief spokesperson, denounced the report as โa blatant falsehood,โ accusing certain media outlets of deliberately spreading misinformation to mislead the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
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The report in question had claimed that the NC was paving the way for a return to the NDA in exchange for restoring Jammu and Kashmirโs statehood.
Following the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Abdullah has taken a pragmatic approach towards the Narendra Modi-led central government.
Acknowledging the Centreโs administrative control over Jammu and Kashmir through the Lieutenant Governor, Abdullah remarked, โWe need coordination with the Centre, as several issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir cannot be resolved through confrontation.โ
He further assured that his government would strive for amicable relations with both the Union government and the Lieutenant Governor. โI will ensure that the new administration maintains a smooth working relationship with both,โ he said.
Abdullah reiterated that restoring Jammu and Kashmirโs statehood was his governmentโs top priority. โFor this, we will work closely with the central government,โ he asserted.
He expressed confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modiโs commitment to the cause, stating, โThe Prime Minister, while campaigning here, assured the people that statehood would be restored. The Home Minister echoed the same promise.โ
However, Abdullah made it clear that the NCโs political stance against the BJP remained unchanged. โThe National Conference and the BJP will not suddenly develop an affinity for each other. We will continue to be political adversaries,โ he explained.
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Drawing a distinction between the J&K governmentโs relationship with the Centre and his partyโs opposition to the BJP, he said, โOur cooperation with the Union government is to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir, not to forge a political alliance.โ
Despite current denials, the NC has a history of political collaboration with the BJP. The party was a part of the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with Abdullah serving as a minister from 1999 to 2002.
Veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad had earlier claimed in a TV interview that both NC president Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah had made strategic attempts to ally with the BJP in 2014. This assertion was later confirmed by BJPโs J&K in-charge Ram Madhav, who stated in an October 2 interview that discussions had indeed taken place.
โAt that time, there were only two possible government formationsโBJP-NC or BJP-PDP. Talks were held with both parties before the BJP eventually formed a coalition with the PDP,โ Madhav revealed.
