BJP has struck a deal with independent regional parties to form a JK government. Omar Abdullah – The Week

Srinagar, Sept 7 (PTI) – National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday claimed that the BJP had “struck a deal” with some regional parties and some independent candidates to become part of the government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to comments made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jammu, Abdullah said he had remained “silent” on the Apni Party and the People's Conference in his speech at the launch of the BJP's election manifesto on Friday.
“…those who have made a deal with Delhi will not meet your demands. If you need proof of this, just look at Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in Jammu yesterday,” the NC vice-president said.
“The Home Minister has listed the parties with which the BJP will not form a government. However, he did not comment on the independents because they are in cahoots with them. He also did not comment on the Apni Party and the People's Conference,” he said.
Addressing an election rally at the Parliament House in Ganderbal, Abdullah added: “I thought he would at least mention Engineer Rashid's party (Awami Ittehad Party), but he did not.”
Releasing the party manifesto in Jammu on Friday, Shah expressed confidence that he could form a government in Jammu. “There will be no dynastic government of PDP, NC and Congress. The rest of the options will be explored by the BJP,” Shah said.
Abdullah is contesting elections in the Ganderbal and Budgam constituencies, where the second round of voting will be held on September 25.
Abdullah reiterated his claim that it was specifically the detainees who would contest against him, naming Sheikh Abdul Rashid of the Awami Ittehad Party – who defeated him in the Lok Sabha elections – and separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati, who will contest against the NC chairman in the upcoming general elections.
“I wonder why people in jail are chasing me and want to contest against me in the elections. What is the reason?” he asked. He had earlier suggested that Barkati, who hailed from Zainapora, Shopian, was contesting against him as part of a “Delhi conspiracy”, again alluding to the central government.
Abdullah said it was no coincidence that these detainees were contesting elections against him. “They only want to attack one person – the National Conference candidate from Ganderbal,” he said.
In the parliamentary elections, Barkati is also running for a seat in Beerwah, which Abdullah represented from 2014 to 2018.
Barkati was a prominent face in the protests in south Kashmir's Shopian and Kulgam districts following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016. Barkati was first arrested in 2016 and charged under the Public Safety Act. He was arrested again last year and now faces charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The former chief minister said if the only criticism levelled at him was that he did not live in Ganderbal, then it would be an injustice to the people of his constituency. Candidates who had nothing to say would raise issues like “locals versus outsiders”, he said.
“Wherever I come from, I have worked in Ganderbal. I was an MP from here for six years and an MP three times. Apart from that, my grandfather was an MP from here, my grandmother was an MP and my father was both an MP and an MP for this section.
“Let my critics tell me what they have done for Ganderbal and I will list my work here… Do you have anything to compare with the district hospital, the central university, the roads, the sports school and the new administrative units? If you have done anything equal to my works, I testify before God that I will be out of the contest,” he added.