“It was natural choice…perhaps symbolic of fight for everybody’s respect”: Omar Abdullah on contesting from two J&K assembly seats

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 6 (ANI): Terming his decision to fight Jammu and Kashmir polls from two seats as “natural choice”, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has said that he wants to win both from Budgam and Ganderbal and that the assembly election is about seeking to restore “some of that lost respect or that respect that was taken from us”.

In an interview with ANI, Omar Abdullah also said that the assembly polls are about emotions too as they are taking place “on the back of so much that has happened to Jammu and Kashmir”.

He spoke about his unexpected loss in Lok Sabha polls from Baramulla earlier this year and said it is important to show National Conference is a winning party.

“I think it’s important after what happened in the Baramulla parliamentary election for the party to show that we are a winning party and that we can win even in sort of difficult circumstances. Budgam was part of Baramulla parliamentary constituency when I lost. So I think that’s an important part of it. And Ganderbal, I’ve represented as an MLA for six years. My grandfather, my father. So it was a natural choice. I want to win both,” he said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister rejected any suggestion that he was contesting from a second seat due to insecurity.

“In fact it’s the opposite. It comes from wanting to show that we can win a seat, an assembly, Look, I can’t fight the Baramulla parliamentary seat again. But I can at least fight a part of that Baramulla seat just to show that this is not what it’s all about,” he said.

The National Conference vice president said that the decision to contest from two seats is perhaps symbolic of their fight to restore respect “taken from us”.

“I’m older. I’m less given to sort of angry campaigns. I think it’s also reflective of the sentiment in this election. And it’s not about, I mean, when I talk about respect, when I talk about that feeling, it’s not just about mine. It’s about the entire Jammu and Kashmir, which feels that their voice was disrespected, that their voice wasn’t heard, that nobody has bothered to give any sort of ear to their sentiment and feeling,” he said.

“And this election is about seeking to restore some of that lost respect or that respect that was taken from us. So what I did was perhaps symbolic of this fight being about that respect. It’s about everybody’s caps. It’s about everybody’s turbans. It’s about everybody’s respect. And that’s what National Conference is fighting for,” he added.

Answering queries, Abdullah said his being sometimes referred to as unemotional and almost robotic did not reflect his real self.

“Well, that’s sort of been used against me–that I’m almost robotic, that I’m unemotional, that I don’t connect. So, I mean, that’s not actually who I am. I mean, obviously, we all have emotions at various levels. Someone today reminded me. My father is Kashmiri, my mother is British, and sometimes the sort of stiff upper-lip British side wins over, which is perhaps the wrong side. At least in Indian politics. I mean, politics is about emotion,” he said.

“And more so this one. I mean, this election is taking place on the back of so much that has happened to Jammu and Kashmir. So it’s just, I mean… It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t thought about, it wasn’t discussed, it wasn’t sort of war-roomed or war-gamed or anything like that. It’s just something that happened. It was spontaneous and that’s it,” he added.

Omar Abdullah filed his nomination from the Budgam on September 5. He filed his nomination from Ganderbal earlier.

Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1 and results for which will be declared on October 8. This is the first election in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370.

Like the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year, Congress and National Conference are fighting the assembly polls also in alliance. While NC will contest 51 0f 90 seats, Congress will fight 32 with two parties also agreeing to friendly contest on some seats. A few seats have been left for smaller allies.