Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has once again stirred up national politics. Omar’s claim that the INDIA bloc is currently on life support and risks being wheeled into the ICU has come at a time when the Opposition is still recovering from a drubbing in the Bihar polls. Omar National Conference is an ardent ally of the INDIA bloc. Congress and the National Conference contested the assembly and Lok Sabha polls together in Jammu and Kashmir. NC won big time, while Congress got only six seats in the assembly elections last year. Congress lost both Lok Sabha seats it contested in the Jammu division. Of late, Congress-NC has not been on good terms. It was evident when Congress refused to contest the recent by-election to the Nagrota seat in Jammu. Even friction was evident when Congress said no to contesting the `not-so-safe’ Rajya Sabha seat. Now, Omar’s bombshell about the INDIA bloc was the last straw in the fledgling coalition. The timing of Omar’s statement is crucial. Parliament is in session. Elections to key states, including West Bengal, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh, are lined up for next year. Given the BJP’s election juggernaut, the INDIA bloc needs a miracle to win the polls. Yet, Omar’s candid admission of failure has only helped the NDA. Omar cited the exclusion of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha from the Bihar seat-sharing arrangement to drive the point home. BJP too did not lose any time to lampoon the INDIA bloc. BJP went a step ahead when it said that the INDIA bloc has already passed away; only NC realized it now. Omar Abdullah ruled Jammu and Kashmir for six years from 2008 with the support of Congress. A close ally of Rahul Gandhi, Omar has been flaunting his friendship openly. However, much water has flown down the Jhelum. The friction between NC and Congress has reached a crescendo, though the parties may not admit it openly due to obvious reasons. There is no doubt that Omar has made things worse for the INDIA bloc. On the other side, all is not well with the National Conference on its home turf. The party lost both Budgam and Nagrota by-elections recently. What added insult to injury was the defeat in the Budgam assembly constituency. The seat was vacated by Omar Abdullah last year after he won in two segments. He retained Ganderbal and vacated Budgam. Just a year later, euphoria evaporated, and the party tasted a bitter defeat at the hands of a political rookie fielded by the People’s Democratic Party. Omar’s political gambit about statehood has fallen on deaf ears so far. The infighting within the National Conference has become a talk of the town. Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah’s open defiance is making him a hero on a different pedestal. Against this backdrop, Omar’s chargesheet against the INDIA bloc cannot be seen in isolation. Omar is not the kind of person who makes out of out-of-turn statement. It can’t be brushed any other political statement when J&K is craving for more.
INDIA bloc in crisis
