Srinagar- BJP leader and one time confidant of Omar Abdullah, Devendra Singh Rana has claimed that the National Conference (NC) made multiple efforts to form a coalition government with the BJP after the fall of PDP led government in 2014.
Rana reiterated that Omar Abdullah led a delegation to New Delhi to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP leader Ram Madhav. “I was part of that team,” he said in an interview with Smita Prakash of ANI. Rana said that Dr. Farooq Abdullah was in London at the time and the discussions did not go smoothly.
“Omar was very eager to form a government with the BJP,” Rana alleged, emphasizing how committed the NC leadership was to the idea of a power-sharing agreement. Even after the abrogation of Article 370, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, Rana claimed the NC continued to make efforts to reach out to the BJP and even the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in an attempt to build a “tactical understanding” for their political survival.
According to Rana, “One meeting did not go well and it turned out to be the breaking point.” He went on to say that Omar Abdullah was prepared to make significant compromises, noting, “Omar was ready for anything and everything but did it in haste.”
Rana also revealed that the National Conference was willing to accept a BJP chief minister as part of the deal. He quoted Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who was clear in his stance, saying, “Sarkaar apni banni chahiye, Mufti ki Sarkar nahi banni chahiye” (We should form the government; Mufti’s government should not come into power).
Replying to a question about NC not willing to ally with BJP, Rana said that the door to negotiations has been shut by the BJP and not the National Conference.
Rana went on to say that Kashmiris are full of wisdom and politically aware, wise and articulate and that is the reason Omar lost by a margin of more than two lakh votes in Baramulla from a person who was in jail.
“Kashmir’s political parties have lost relevance to the youth in the age group from 18 to 40. People had hopes when Omar Abdullah became chief Minister. He had come as a whiff of fresh air but then there was bloodbath in Kashmir in 2009 and 2010. The government was shaken.”
However, Rana said that in the last ten years Kashmir has transformed.
“The graveyards are not getting filled by young people. Let me tell you no mother wants to see his son coming back home in a coffin. Today the regional parties are lecturing people about civil liberties, there was no peace during their times,” he said
“Shops are open till midnight, schools run their full course uninterrupted and people feel safe and BJP has done a great job in this regard.”
On Er Rashid he said that he borders on secessionism. He is a soft separatist. He can go to any extent for anything. On NC and PDP, Rana said that they are also inching towards communal soft separatism.
Replying to a question whether there is discontent in the BJP he said that there is no discontent with the party.
There were many aspirants who were looking for mandates and immediately after the ticket distribution they got emotional.
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