news details |
|
|
| CM accepts defeat even before contesting election? | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 19: Will Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also working president of the National Conference (NC), re-seek election from Ganderbal Assembly constituency to establish that he continues to enjoys the confidence of the people he has been representing since 2009 and prove that he is a bold politician who doesn't mind taking risks? The answer appears to be a no.
A report from Srinagar clearly suggests that Omar Abdullah is not confident of his victory in Ganderbal, once considered the stronghold of the Abdullah family, and that he is in search of a "safer constituency". "Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would not contest legislative Assembly polls from Ganderbal, the Assembly segment he represents, but from Sonawar and Hazratbal constituencies," a report said, adding that the "decision to this effect was taken during the nine-hour Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting".
Interestingly, the meeting, which took place on Wednesday, was chaired by none other than Omar Abdullah himself. That he chaired the meeting that reportedly decided to field him either in Sonawar or Hazatbal Assembly constituency was an admission that he has lost the confidence of the people of Ganderbal. It is strange that a man who is in the driver's seat for more than five years and six months is mortally afraid of facing the electorate of his constituency. This indicates the extent to which the NC has become an object of contempt and ridicule and the proof is that in the just-held Lok Sabha elections the PDP candidate Tariq Hamid Karra led in the Ganderbal Assembly segment by almost 3000 votes. The PDP had got 13,220 votes and the NC candidate Farooq Abdullah 10,307 votes. In the 2002 Assembly election as well, Omar Abdullah had lost the Assembly election to the PDP candidate in the same constituency.
But the PDP's lead of 3,000 votes in the Ganderbal Assembly constituency is no valid reason for shifting Omar Abdullah to a "safer" constituency. It simply means he is not a leader even of a constituency. It is unfortunate that the sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir has a Chief Minister who is unwilling to test political waters in the constituency that brought him status. Credit goes to AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi who contested from Amethi Parliamentary constituency, notwithstanding the fact that many a political pundit had predicted a doom for Gandhi. There were reports that Rahul would seek Lok Sabha election from some safer seat, but he proved political pundits and Gandhi-watchers wrong. He took the plunge, faced the challenge very boldly and emerged victorious. Jammu and Kashmir needs bold and popular leaders and not the likes of Omar Abdullah who exploits their position in the party and think only for themselves and not for the party. The best course for him should have been to quit politics and do something else for which he is fit and but he has thought otherwise. It is obvious that his action would further lower the morale of the already demoralized NC leaders and cadres. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
