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| Is Omar Abdullah distancing himself from Congress? | | Assembly poll results | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 8: Has Omar Abdullah,who is heading the Government in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the Congress,started distancing himself from the UPA following the rout the Congress has faced in the Assembly elections in four states, for which the results were declared today?
What seems to have shocked the Congress is the way it has been decimated in Delhi and Rajasthan. In case of Delhi Congress Government led by Sheila Dixit stood unseated after a gap of 15 years.The election results in these four states seems to have convinced Omar Abdullah that Congress is no longer invincible.He believes that the Congress is so much vulnerable to light storms that a year old Aam Aadmi Party,led by Arvind Kejriwal, trounced it in Delhi.And rightly or wrong Omar has started distancing himself from the Congress,which till yesterday had been not only dictating terms to the National Conference but Omar had to bank on the Congress support for his survival as Chief Minister also.
And that Omar is trying to tread cautiously in view of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,due in 2014,is indicated by the latest tweets from the Kashmir Chief Minister.The 43-year-old politician, who confessed his "morbid curiosity" in the results, noted what must be grim lessons for the Congress today as the BJP was poised to sweep Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, besides winning in Delhi.
"Notes to self for 2014 - big public meetings don't always mean votes but poorly attended ones definitely indicate big trouble," Omar Abdullah tweeted.He didn't get into specifics but poorly attended rallies had been a major concern for the ruling Congress as its leading face Rahul Gandhi campaigned in Delhi and some parts of Rajasthan.
Sheila Dikshit's humiliation in Delhi was mirrored by the rout of Ashok Gehlot's Congress government in Rajasthan, where the BJP raced to a landslide win.As he tweeted away, Abdullah also had this advice for political parties, "Notes to self for 2014 - voters will see through crude attempts to buy support with last minute populist schemes."He signed off with this gem, "And perhaps last lesson for today #2014, a divisive message won't work but you can't fight an election with a Gandhian campaign either.
In fact the crux of Omar's tweet is that it reflects his changed idea about the invincibility and importance of the Congress.Omar has showm no qualms in ridiculing even Rahul Gandhi who has been responsible for supporting Omar all these years.It has been Rahul Gandhi who has been opposed to altering the five year old political arrangement.
Reports indicate that the NC leadership may reconsider its plan of persuading the Congress for having a pre-poll alliance both during the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections.There is a feeling that contesting the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections in alliance with the Congress may prove a liability for the National Conference in the light of the dismal performance of the Congress in the elections in four states.
And Omar Abdullah rightly comments that even a new born political party can turn the tables against the established political organizations. He has said that Arvind Kejriwal's incredible performance in Delhi was clearly on his (Omar's) mind as he tweeted, "Notes to self for 2014 never underestimate the underdog/newcomer with a fresh face and message."
Kejriwal's nine-month-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) scripted a dream debut in Delhi, coming in a close second after the BJP and decimating the Congress, which has ruled Delhi for 15 long years.
Will the Congress high command take into account the underlying idea in Omar's tweets? Let the Congress take a final decision.However,the Congress high command may not be in a position now to dictate terms to Omar Abdullah.It may prefer to strengthen the alliance with the NC instead of going alone in the next elections. |
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