NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing tussle between INDIA bloc partners, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, in the Delhi assembly elections, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for a clarity on the opposition alliance.
Abdullah said that if the alliance was only for the Lok Sabha elections, then it must be wound up and opposition parties should start working separately.
Responding to the media queries over the time limit for the INDIA bloc, Abdullah said, “As far as I remember, there was no time limit set on this. Unfortunately, since no meeting of the INDIA bloc is being called, there is no clarity on this—neither regarding leadership, nor the agenda, nor whether we will continue or not. Perhaps the elections in Delhi will happen. After that, it would be good if all the stakeholders of the INDIA bloc are called, and there is clarity on whether this was only for the parliamentary elections.”
“If so, then wind it up, and we will continue our work separately. If it is also for the assembly after the parliamentary elections, then we will have to work together,” he added.
Abdullah’s remarks came as Congress and AAP have decided to contest the Delhi assembly elections seperately.
The two parties are already in a state of political cross-fire, with Delhi Congress leaders hitting out at the ten-year ‘misrule’ of AAP dispensation and the latter clapping back.
Days ago, Congress treasurer Ajay Maken launched an all-out offensive against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal terming him anti-national while the AAP issued an ultimatum to the grand old party to issue an apology for the same. This has set the stage for a further fierce political fight between the two INDIA bloc allies.
Prithviraj Chavan also made a strong pitch for giving up the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and demanded a reversal to traditional ballot papers.
“One may argue that EVMs haven’t been proven to be erroneous and inaccurate, but this doesn’t rule out the possibility of them malfunctioning and rigging,” he said, citing the example of Germany.
The former Maharashtra CM claimed that, despite years of conducting polling through EVMs, the European country has reverted to the ballot papers.
Delhi is all set to go for the polls on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.
