Omar Abdullah’s tone seems to be changing since his victory in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Ahead of the election results, Omar Abdullah was seen launching a front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the central government. He has been talking about working with the Center since the election results.
After the election results were announced, Omar Abdullah said that we do not want a conflict with the centrists. Now, Omar has resigned as deputy speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The question now is, has Omar Abdullah’s appointment as deputy speaker of the BJP opened the door to friendship? What is Omar Abdullah’s strategy behind being so soft on the BJP?
Has Omar blazed a trail for friendship?
When Omar Abdullah decided to hand over the deputy speakership to the BJP, it was also described as a new path of friendship. People have linked this to the tension between the National Congress and the Congress following the election results and the Congress party’s decision not to participate in Omar’s cabinet, saying it was a step for the Abdullah family to join the NDA.
However, experts have a different take. Experts say this is a sign not only of embarking on a path of friendship but also of enmity with the BJP. This is also similar to what Omar Abdullah said, we don’t want to conflict with anyone. We hope to work with everyone for the benefit of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Going by the results of the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, it seems that the National Congress will not risk an alliance with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre. In recent elections, Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party, which formed the government in alliance with the PPP in 2014, has borne the brunt of anti-BJP sentiment in the Valley.
The Abdullah family successfully refutes this claim
The HDP could win only three seats. Word going around the Valley is that if the People’s Democratic Party succeeds in winning more seats, it can form the government along with the BJP. There are also many speculations about the formation of a government between the National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The National Congress has even been called the B-team of the BJP, but the Abdullah family successfully refuted this claim by forming an alliance with the Congress ahead of the elections.
The Abdullah family’s party succeeded in assuring the people of the valley that at least it would not join the ranks of the BJP. Omar Abdullah has come a long way since the national conference victory. Whether it is his decision not to embark on a path of confrontation with the centrists or his statement after resigning from Bugam seat that he will not leave his ancestral seat now, all indicate the same. In this case, it is highly unlikely that he will decide to go with the PPP.
After all, what is Omar Abdullah’s strategy?
The question now also remains, what is the strategy behind Omar Abdullah if not to ally with the BJP? There are four main reasons behind this. The politics of signaling after Omar Abdullah took over as prime minister can be understood from four points.
1- Pay attention to future politics
Ever since Omar Abdullah came to power in Jammu and Kashmir, all his attention has been on the future of politics. Omar Abdullah’s desire to seize power in Jammu and Kashmir like Angad’s feet is also evident in his statements and decisions. When Omar Abdullah talks about keeping the Article 370 issue alive in Jammu and Kashmir, the strategy behind it is that when he comes out in public again after five years, he should not face questions about the Article 370 issue The problem of regression. He wanted to project the image of a government that delivers on its promises related to the development of Jammu and Kashmir, for which coordination with the Center is necessary. For the BJP, resigning as deputy speaker is also seen as a move to improve coordination.
2- What signal is sent to Congress?
The government led by Omar Abdullah has the support of 55 provincial councilors. The National Conference has 42 MLAs, its alliance partners the Congress Party has six and the Left has one. Omar Abdullah’s government also has the support of an Aam Aadmi Party and five independent MLAs. Congress support is necessary for Valley politics, but Omar Abdullah’s government is not dependent on alliance partners ahead of the polls to govern.
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The issue of Congress demanding the post of Deputy Speaker is also under discussion. Omar Abdullah’s decision to give the position to the opposition rather than to allies is also said to have made it clear that he would not work under pressure from allies.
3- Avoid damage signs in the valley
The Congress and National Assembly clashed over cabinet berths before Omar Abdullah was sworn in. Instead of joining the government, Congress announced outside support. With Congress out of the government, speculation has begun about the future of the alliance. When Omar Abdullah kept the posts of four ministers in the government vacant, it was seen as a ploy to avoid the National Conference getting closer to the BJP if the Congress party left.
Also read: ‘Traffic should not stop for me, no need for green corridor’ Omar Abdullah’s first decision after becoming chief minister
4- Blame the conflict on the BJP
Talking about national politics, the opposition Alliance India Bloc has been attacking the central government over constitutional issues. The India Bloc parties also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led New Democratic Alliance government of violating parliamentary traditions. In the first session of the newly established People’s House, the opposition fielded a candidate for the speaker election, but the reason behind this was that the ruling party did not guarantee the position of deputy speaker. This move by Omar Abdullah will set the stage for a tougher stance from the Indian bloc on this issue. With this move, Omar Abdullah can hold the BJP directly accountable if there is a future conflict with the central government.
