Congress key to anti-BJP alliance, says Omar Abdullah

Kolkata: National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah has asserted that the Congress would be indispensable in the unity of all the anti-BJP parties to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha (LS) Elections next year.

Hailing UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her leading initiatives, he also made it clear that the opposition’s unity would not be successful sans the Congress. Mr Abdullah, however, sounded optimistic about a grand formation of a concrete platform by the anti-BJP parties ahead of the LS polls.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s comments came a day after he met Trinamul Congress supremo Mama-ta Banerjee at the state secretariat: Nabanna on Friday, and discussed the prospect and strategies of Federal Front floated by the West Bengal chief minister to oust the BJP from power. On Saturday, he attended a seminar on federalism called Think Federal Conclave in the city.

Replying to questions on Federal Front, Mr Abdullah told the media on the sidelines of the event, “The question you asked about Mamata Didi’s proposal, is exactly what we are discussing that how best can the regional parties come together to take on the BJP in the forthcoming general election.

Obviously no effort towards opposition unity will really succeed unless the Congress also is able to take the fight to the BJP in the way which we hope. So this is an ongoing coversation.”

When asked about the ongoing talks between the anti-BJP parties to come under one umbrella, he elaborated, “You have seen a number of efforts made particulary by Mrs Sonia Gandhi to bring the opposition parties together. Most recently you have seen all the opposition parties coming together for the swearing-in of the chief minister of Karnataka.” Mr Abdullah noted, “There will be other attempts made in other states as well. It is an ongoing process. As we get closer to the general elections in 2019, I am sure it will take on a greater shape.”

Addressing the seminar earlier, he also lashed out at Modi government for making the country weak. The NC leader pointed out, “We have a disbelief that a strong Union is required for a strong country. Of course we want a strong union. But a strong Union can not come at the cost of the states.”

He claimed, “Where is the states’ say that for a strong union you have to have weak states? You can really have strong a Union if you have strong states.”

Today India is not as strong as it could be because we are facing problems in numerous states like the Maoist insurgency in parts of the country, problems in North-East or Jammu and Kashmir.” Mr Abdullah added, “Those states that have been weakened have held the Union back from progressing and proceeding the way we ought to have done. And if anything is needed to be done is to strengthen India’s federal structure.” He also alleged that more youths in Jammu and Kashmir have been joining militancy than those during his tenure as the chief minister.

K09