BJP can’t win even single RS seat in J&K without horse-trading: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not have the numbers to win even a single seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Biennial elections to fill the seats will be held on October 24.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar said the BJP is far short of the required support. “The BJP cannot win three Rajya Sabha seats without indulging in horse trading. In fact, they cannot win even one seat without it. They need 30 votes to win the fourth seat, but they only have 28. There hasn’t been a single MLA outside of those 28 who has shown support for the BJP in the past year,” he stated.

“If they are claiming they’ll win three seats, then it’s through money power, muscle power, and the power of central agencies,” he alleged.

He reiterated that, as per the numbers, the BJP is simply not in a position to secure even one seat. “That’s why I said earlier that this Rajya Sabha election will reveal who are the friends of the BJP and who are the opponents. Anyone who abstains or votes in favour of the BJP is clearly aligning with them. In three of the four seats, the BJP has opposing candidates. Let’s see how people vote,” he added.

Commenting on allegations of using coercive tactics, Omar said, “If they want to win the election through threats or by buying support, then they are only proving right what people in Bihar and elsewhere are already saying.”

On being asked about the last minute changes in the Rajya Sabha nominations, Omar rejected such claims. “Where did any last-minute change occur? One seat was kept aside for the Congress. They chose not to field a candidate. We felt the Congress had the best chance of winning that fourth seat. They felt otherwise, and that’s their decision,” he explained.