J&K: NC leader Omar Abdullah to contest from Baramulla seat; Ruhullah Mehdi fielded from Srinagar in Lok Sabha polls

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 12 (ANI): Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has been declared as the National Conference’s candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in North Kashmir, party President Farooq Abdullah said on Friday.

He further said that Aga Ruhullah will be the party’s candidate from Central Kashmir.

“Omar Abdullah will contest the elections from North Kashmir and Aga Ruhullah Mehdi will contest from Central Kashmir,” Farooq Abdullah said.

Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “dynasty politics” remark and said that if the latter is correct then why are his candidates not in the field?

“If what PM Modi is saying is correct then why are his candidates not in the field? Why is the BJP not contesting South, Central and North Kashmir? I assume for a moment that what PM Modi is saying is correct and that the National Conference is responsible for all the trouble then why is the BJP not putting up candidates in north, central and south kashmir? Is it like what the Prime Minister is saying and what he knows to be true is different?” Omar Abdullah said to reporters.

When asked if he would leave politics if the BJP wins a single seat, the NC leader said, “Let BJP announce their candidates. I will also see if they are able to get a single seat (in J&K) or not.”

PM Modi on Friday slammed the Opposition parties over dynasty politics and said that no one has caused as much damage to Jammu and Kashmir as family-run parties adding that such political parties have come to mean “of the family, by the family, for the family.”

Addressing a public rally in Udhampur, PM Modi said, “Modi is guaranteeing the creation of developed Jammu and Kashmir for developed India. But Congress, National Conference and PDP want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to those old days. No one has caused as much damage to Jammu and Kashmir as these family-run parties have. The meaning of these political parties is, of the family, by the family, for the family.”

The BJP had won three out of six seats in Jammu and Kashmir in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The National Conference won the remaining three seats.

The Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anntnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla).