Mehbooba Mufti Criticizes BJP and NC Ahead of Jammu and Kashmir Elections
Kokernag (Jammu and Kashmir), September 8: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti accused BJP leaders of being frustrated and targeting regional parties. Speaking at a public rally in Kokernag in support of PDP candidate Haroon Chowdhary, she said, “What will (BJP) they do? They are frustrated. They know that people are upset after what they did five years ago in Jammu and Kashmir (abrogation of Article 370). People want to respond to them through ballot. They can talk about anything.”
Mufti also questioned the National Conference (NC), recalling their leaders’ meetings with BJP leaders in Delhi in 2014 to form a government. Her comments followed BJP leader Devender Singh Rana’s statement that NC leader Omar Abdullah attempted to ally with the BJP in 2014. Rana said, “He (Omar Abdullah) was interim CM and didn’t want to leave power. He wanted NC to be in power in one way or the other. Farooq Abdullah was abroad and he asked him to go and talk to the BJP and stay in government somehow. BJP was in the centre, so Farooq Abdullah always wanted to go hand in hand with the central government. Now the situation will not arise for BJP and NC to come together.”
Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1, with vote counting on October 8. The National Conference and Congress have formed a pre-poll alliance. Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for SCs and 9 for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, there are 88.06 lakh eligible voters. These are the first assembly elections in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. In the previous elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, BJP secured 25, NC won 15, and Congress won 12.
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Mehbooba Mufti -: Mehbooba Mufti is a politician from Jammu and Kashmir, a region in India. She was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, which means she was the head of the government there.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the major political parties in India.
NC -: NC stands for National Conference. It is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It has its own unique culture and history.
Kokernag -: Kokernag is a place in Jammu and Kashmir. It is known for its beautiful gardens and springs.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a part of the Indian Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It was removed in 2019.
abrogation -: Abrogation means the act of ending or canceling something. In this context, it refers to the removal of Article 370.
polling -: Polling means the process of voting in an election. People go to polling stations to cast their votes.
eligible voters -: Eligible voters are people who are allowed to vote in an election. In this case, 88.06 lakh means 8,806,000 people can vote.