Omar Abdullah alleges BJP banking on 'money, muscle and agencies' to win Rajya Sabha seats in upcoming polls

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accused the BJP of resorting to ‘horse-trading’ to secure even a single seat, alleging the party lacks the ability to win independently. He said that the BJP holds 28 MLAs but requires 30 votes to secure a fourth seat. Abdullah further alleged that any additional victories would rely on ‘money, muscle, or agencies’, warning that such tactics would validate public suspicions about the BJP's role in manipulating the Bihar elections.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the upcoming elections will expose which MLAs align with the BJP and which genuinely oppose it. He warned that any MLA who abstains from voting or supports the BJP will face public scrutiny. Abdullah said, “Over the past year, only the 18 BJP MLAs have backed the party. These elections will be a litmus test, revealing which political parties and MLAs stand with the BJP and which remain true to the opposition.”

The National Conference initially allocated one Rajya Sabha seat to its ally, the Congress, but with Congress opting not to contest, the National Conference now stands as the frontrunner to secure the fourth seat. Omar Abdullah announced that the National Conference will independently contest all four upcoming Rajya Sabha seats, as Congress, its alliance partner, has chosen not to field a candidate.

Addressing claims that his father, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, was denied a mandate for the Rajya Sabha seat, Omar dismissed them, asserting that no one could deny Dr. Farooq a mandate. He described Dr. Farooq as a towering leader, not only in Jammu and Kashmir but across India, who voluntarily stepped back due to health reasons.