Conduct Assembly, Lok Sabha elections together, Omar urges Central Government

SRINAGAR: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that if the BJP really believes in one nation, one election, the government should set the ball rolling by conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and J&K Assembly.

“The government and the BJP talk about one nation, one election. Their report is ready. If they really believe in it, then they should start by conducting Assembly elections in J&K along with the Lok Sabha elections. But if they don’t believe in what they are saying, then what can we say, betraying people is their old habit,” Omar said.

The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir was speaking to reporters after his arrival from Umrah in Saudi Arabia. He was accompanied on the pilgrimage by his father and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah.

The NC vice president said the leaders prayed for Jammu and Kashmir, especially for improvement in the situation. “We prayed for decrease in the distress of the people. We also prayed for an end to the dry spell here. The God accepted our prayers and the cycle of rains and snow started,” he added.

On the Interim Budget, Abdullah said that in the run up to the elections, this was not a full Budget. “A full Budget will be presented after the elections. We knew they will not impose any new taxes, and they have not. People will not cast their votes based on this Budget, they will decide on what has been done or not done in the last five years,” he said.