Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) Chief Farooq Abdullah on Saturday ruled out the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the formation of a government in the Union Territory.
Farooq Abdullah told PTI, “We cannot form any sort of alliance with the BJP. The vote that we have got here in Kashmir is the vote against the BJP. The difficulties they put the Muslims in, bulldozed their shops, houses, mosques, and schools, do you think we will go with them?”
Abdullah’s clarification comes amid speculation that his party was engaging in backchannel deliberations with the BJP to form the government.
The National Conference chief also stressed that the saffron camp had failed to give a mandate to even a single Muslim representative in the Lok Sabha elections. He further added that there was not a single Muslim minister in the Union Cabinet.
“I think our people will not vote for the BJP. If they (BJP) think they will form the government, then they live in a cuckoo’s world,” PTI quoted the National Conference (NC) chief as saying.
The Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance is ahead in Jammu and Kashmir but no party has been shown to cross the majority mark, as indicated by exit polls of several surveyors including Axis My India, C Voter, Matrize, and PMARQ.
Jammu and Kashmir is all set to get a new government after the assembly elections held over three phases – September 18, September 25 and October 1 – after a gap of 10 years.
Dainik Bhaskar poll claimed that NC-Congress will win up to 35-40 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to settle for 20-25 seats.
