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| Omar may take Legislative Council route to re-enter state legislature | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 17: The NC on Tuesday announced the first list of its 32 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir. The party gave mandate to 20 out of the 28 sitting MLAs. 10 ministers and Speaker were, among the 20 candidates, who were again given the mandate. Significantly, the name of working president and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was conspicuous by its absence in the list of its 32 candidates.
The absence of the name of Omar Abdullah in the list of party candidates did indicate that the NC working president was not really willing to test political waters in the Ganderbal assembly constituency he at present represents in the assembly. In 2002, he had lost the election from the same constituency to the candidate fielded against him by the newly-founded People's Democratic Party. Three weeks ago, a couple of reports emanated from Srinagar suggesting that Omar Abdullah might not seek re-election from Ganderbal constituency as his poll prospects were not bright and that he might seek election either from Sonawar assembly constituency or Hazratbal assembly constituency considered somewhat safe for him. Omar Abdullah's uncle Mustafa Kamaal and Farooq Abdullah had won from these constituencies, respectively, in the 2008 assembly elections. Interestingly, even the name of Mustafa Kamaal didn't figure in the first list of party candidates.
Credible sources in the party on the condition of anonymity inform that "Omar Abdullah is not confident of his victory" and that "he is afraid of facing the PDP candidate". "Omar Abdullah has frittered away the golden opportunity he got in 2009 by focusing on non-issues. His style of functioning and his reckless and knee-jerk reactions have dented his image," these sources also informed. However, what was highly surprising was their view that "Omar Abdullah may not contest the coming assembly election at all" and "he would prefer this time Legislative Council route to re-enter the state legislature". If what these sources said was true, then it can be said that the NC is doomed. |
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