Omar Abdullah Distances INDIA Bloc from Congress's 'Vote Chori' Campaign Amid Alliance Tensions

Omar Abdullah and the Congress maintain an alliance within the INDIA bloc

New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has clarified that the INDIA opposition bloc has no connection with the Congress's 'vote chori' campaign. "The INDIA alliance has nothing to do with the Congress 'Vote Chori' campaign. Every party has the right to choose its agenda. The Congress has chosen to make SIR and vote chori as their main issue. Who are we to tell them what to do? They can choose their issues, and we will choose ours," Abdullah stated when speaking to media representatives.

The Congress recently organized a major rally in the national capital to intensify its 'vote chori' campaign. The opposition party has alleged that the Election Commission collaborated with the BJP to manipulate voting processes. Both the poll body and the BJP have dismissed these accusations.

Abdullah's statement comes just a week after he remarked that the INDIA bloc is on "life support." This comment prompted varied responses from alliance partners, with some agreeing and others contesting his assessment.

"We're sort of on life support, but every once in a while, somebody brings out his paddles and gives us a bit of a shock, and we get up again. But then, unfortunately, results like Bihar happen, and we slump down again, and then somebody has to wheel us into the ICU," Abdullah explained during his participation at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in Delhi.

He further suggested that the INDIA bloc "pushed Nitish Kumar back into the arms of the NDA" and highlighted the alliance's inability to include the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in the Bihar seat-sharing arrangements.

RJD leader Manoj Jha criticized Abdullah's comments as "rushed," stating, "If the alliance is on life support, Omar is also a part of the alliance. What are his attempts to revive it? This is not about one political party; it is the responsibility of all members. Responsibility does not end with taunting," Jha told news agency PTI.

CPI general secretary D Raja called for introspection among all alliance members. "When the secular democratic parties came together to form the INDIA bloc, the whole objective was to save India and defeat the BJP. Now, what is happening, why is the INDIA bloc not functioning with the expected coordination?" Raja questioned.

Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai expressed disagreement with Abdullah's assessment. "I don't agree with that. Yes, defeats can make people feel unsettled, but that is exactly what the BJP wants. Those who are fighting the BJP and these fascist forces should not fall into this trap. Wins and losses are part of politics," he stated.

The BJP seized the opportunity to comment on the opposition's apparent disunity. Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain remarked, "Omar Abdullah is wrong. INDI alliance is not on life support; it has died. INDI Alliance ended after the Lok Sabha election. A tribute should be paid to it. It has neither leader nor policy."