Political closeness of NC with BJP at centre raises speculations of a major shift in J&K; Abdullahs read the political environment well

Political closeness of NC with BJP at centre raises speculations of a major shift in J&K; Abdullahs read the political environment well

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: Though the NC and BJP leaders have categorically rejected the speculations of a possible NC-BJP alliance in the future, the regular political closeness of NC and BJP has raised speculations of a major shift in the politics of J&K. After the Delhi assembly elections results, the INDIA bloc was totally shattered, and this could be the reason that NC top brass was planning to form better relations with the BJP in the larger interest of development in J&K.

On the other hand, the BJP always wanted to form a government in J&K but got only 29 seats, which were far less than the majority mark. After winning back-to-back elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and UT of Delhi, the BJP is upbeat and wants to play a big role in J&K and Punjab. But as far as J&K is concerned, the ruling NC government feels unease in running the affairs of J&K UT with full might, and this could be the reason that the NC top brass may go to any extent to have better relations with the BJP. Although it is not clear in which way good relations will be formed between both parties, forming a coalition is just one option, which at present both parties have responded to negatively. Highly placed sources in the political circles told “POONCH TODAY” that Abdullahs are masters in reading the political environment of the country, so anything is possible in J&K. It is pertinent to mention here that during PM Modi’s visit to inaugurate the tunnel at Sonamarg, CM Omar Abdullah was all praise for PM Modi. Omar said that peace has arrived in J&K only due to the policies of PM Modi. In return, PM Modi also appreciated Omar Abdullah for his developmental vision. Just a few days ago, Omar had a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, and this meeting raised speculations of a possible NC-BJP alliance in the near future. However, NC leaders, feeling the heat in the valley, categorically said that forming an alliance with BJP is not an option for NC; thereby, they negated the reports of an alliance with BJP. Leader of the opposition Sunil Sharma also said that it’s not possible for the BJP to have an alliance with NC, as the BJP will play the role of a constructive opposition. Political observers believe that CM Omar Abdullah is not enjoying full freedom, as he knows that without any support from BJP, it would be a very difficult task for him to perform independently. The J&K UT government led by Omar Abdullah has completed nearly 120 days in office, but no major developmental initiatives or any public-oriented announcements have come, and it shows that the working relations between the LG’s office and the J&K government are not satisfactory. So, to enjoy full freedom in the delivery of governance to the people at the grassroots level, CM Omar Abdullah needs a free hand, and for that, he needs the full backing of the BJP, which is possible only if both parties form an alliance in the interest of the people of J&K, feel political observers. Although it’s extremely difficult for the NC to form an alliance with BJP, fearing a huge resentment in the valley on the issue of restoration of statehood, the present state of affairs in J&K related to governance has forced the Abdullahs on tenterhooks. There are also reports that a large number of NC legislators may force Omar Abdullah to adopt a tough stand on the issue of statehood and 370 after the budget session, and if that happens, J&K may face a political turmoil. A few days ago, in the security review meetings, CM Omar Abdullah was not invited, and it again raised speculations of weak relations between the LG’s secretariat and the J&K government. It would be interesting to see whether Abdullahs will form an alliance with BJP or will continue to feel unease in running the affairs of the government, because, above all, vote bank politics of the valley is important for Abdullahs.