Swear by Quran, did not seek alliance with BJP in 2024 for Statehood: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Nov 9 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday swore by the holy Quran that he did not seek an alliance with the BJP in 2024 for statehood or for any other reason.

Omar was responding to BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma’s allegation that Omar had gone to Delhi to seek an alliance with the BJP for government formation in 2024.

Sharma dared Omar Abdullah to go to any mosque or religious place to swear that he had not sought an alliance with the BJP after the 2024 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Taking Sharma’s allegation very seriously, the Chief Minister, in a post on X, wrote, “I swear on the Holy Quran that I didn’t seek an alliance with the BJP in 2024 for Statehood or for any other reason. Unlike Sunil Sharma, I don’t tell lies for a living”.

Sharma had made a statement on Sunday in which he dared Omar to swear if he hadn’t sought an alliance with the BJP in 2024.

Sharma said in his statement, “Swear on the Quran you didn’t seek BJP alliance for Statehood in 2024”.

Political tempers ran high as campaigning for the two Assembly seats of Nagrota and Budgam ended on Sunday evening, as both the constituencies go to bypoll on November 11.

Omar has been telling voters that there is a gang-up of all other political parties against the NC in Budgam, as he sees BJP, PDP, Apni Party and others having joined hands to defeat NC’s Aga Mehmood in this bypoll.

By-election in Budgam was necessitated because Omar Abdullah had won two seats of Budgam and Ganderbal in the 2024 Assembly elections. He later resigned from the Budgam seat.

Nagrota Assembly seat fell vacant as the BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana, representing the constituency, passed away on October 31, 2024.

BJP has fielded Devender Singh Rana’s daughter, Devyani Rana, for the Nagrota seat.

--IANS

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