NC launches poll campaign in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency

Srinagar, April 2 (IANS) A day after nominating senior Gujjar/Bakarwal leader, Mian Altaf Ahmad as its candidate, the National Conference (NC) on Tuesday started its poll campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. NC Vice President Omar Abdullah, who addressed an election meeting in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag, along with Mian Altaf Ahmad and other NC leaders, appealed to voters to come out in large numbers on May 7 and vote in favour of the NC candidate.In an interesting development, Omar Abdullah, talking to reporters on the sidelines of the poll campaign, said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), headed by Mehbooba Mufti, may not field candidates against his party in Kashmir.”Both NC and PDP are an integral part of the INDIA bloc. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti hasn’t shown any intention to field candidates against the NC,” he said.Citing the recent rally of the INDIA bloc in Delhi, where Mehbooba Mufti shared the stage with NC President, Dr Farooq Abdullah and reiterated her PDP’s commitment to the alliance, Omar Abdullah urged the media not to foster discord between the two parties.He criticised the emergence of a new alliance in Kashmir, alleging these parties are working at the behest of the BJP and will contest polls as its proxies in Jammu and Kashmir.Omar Abdullah said that the abrogation of Article 370 was a grave mistake that deprived the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their rights. He condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and alleged that Kejriwal was a victim of BJP’s flawed policies.–IANSsq/vd