Jammu — Congress candidate from Central Shalteng assembly seat Tariq Hameed Karra said on Sunday that they are ready to hold dialogues with any party and people who are on the same page to throw Bharatiya Janata Party out of the “power corridor” in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Indian National Congress has said that we are ready to hold a dialogue and associate with all those parties and people who are ready to throw BJP out of the power corridor…Everyone is welcome if they are on the same page and are like-minded,” he told ANI.

He also said that if Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad is ready to be on the same page regarding the ideology with Congress, then he is welcome to join the alliance.

“If today Ghulam Nabi Azad’s ideologies match with Congress and if he accepts the leadership and guiding principles of Congress, then he is welcomed in this pious programme. If any independent leader or political party will be on the same page in keeping the BJP out of power, then our doors are open for them. As of now, he (Ghulam Nabi Azad) is not on the same page but if he comes on the same page, it is for him to decide,” he said.

He further raised the issue of the nomination of 5 MLAs in the assembly which will be nominated by the Lieutenant Governor (LG), and said that the LG of a union territory should not have such “arbitrary powers.”

He told ANI, “The other thing was that we have been thinking about the nomination of the 5 MLAs. It was discussed and agreed that if the President of India doesn’t have the arbitrary powers to nominate a person. Because the Constitution says that the President of India can nominate anyone with the advice and guidance of the government, then how come the LG of a UT can have those arbitrary powers?”
He also talked about the problems faced by Congress candidates, alleging that liquor and money were being transported across the region during the election, but the Congress candidates did not get any help from the administration when complaints were raised.

“There was a consensus that they had to face a large number of complaints. Liquor, money and other things were being transported. They (candidates) say that they had been conveying these complaints to the administration. But, there was no cooperation from their side,” he added. — (ANI)

Srinagar — Awami Ittehad Party chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid on Saturday said irrespective of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election results, the Union Territory’s control will lie with Delhi.

Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, also said he does not rely on exit polls and would wait for the final outcome of the assembly polls.

Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi met the AIP chief at his residence here on Saturday. Their meeting has sparked speculations about the Congress leader seeking his support for the National Conference (NC)-Congress coalition for government formation.

“Everybody is at liberty to have an exit poll. They know better what the criteria were. People have voted, so let’s wait for October 8,” Rashid told PTI.

He said he has never relied on exit polls.

“Did anybody predict me winning the Baramulla parliamentary elections? Nobody! I was in jail and the least I could experience was that nobody talked about us. Anyway, people have voted, so let’s wait till October 8,” he added.

On Channi’s visit, Rashid said he was the only leader to raise voice for him in Parliament. “He came to visit and I thanked him for raising voice for me. We had a good discussion,” the AIP chief said.

Asked about the topic of discussion with the former Punjab chief minister, the Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla said, “When two politicians meet, politics will obviously be discussed.”

Asked if the elections will throw up a hung assembly in J&K, Rashid said irrespective of the results, the control will lie with Delhi.

“Whether we are going to have a hung assembly here or any one political party gets majority of seats, the control lies with New Delhi because J&K is a Union Territory.

“Whoever forms the government here — especially those who claimed to reinstate Article 370, statehood or Article 35A, or prisoners out of jails or to stop human rights violations or initiating talks with Pakistan — it’s an examination for them,” he said.

Rashid said the party, which gets more results, will have to share more responsibility.

On whether the Union Territory assembly will be weak, Rashid said the legislature was not about power.

“When public representatives are chosen, when MPs and MLAs are chosen, they will be given some power. So, let them fight. If they think they will be powerless, then why did they fight in the first place?

“Or they should fight like me so that either Modi ji listens to them or they go to jail. I will wait till October 8, that’s what is important to me,” he added. — (PTI)

KD NEWS SERVICE

SRINAGAR, Oct 5: Reacting to claims made by Omar Abdullah regarding the transaction of business rules in J&K Assembly Chugh said that the Lt. Governor of Jammu-Kashmir is a constitutional post and it’s the duty of each and every political party in the country to respect such posts. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified this matter, stating without ambiguity that there is no proposal to amend the transaction of business rules.

The existing rules, formulated under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act of 2019, were duly notified in 2020 following due legislative process. Abdullah’s claims are not true. The rules were established to ensure a seamless and efficient governance framework, respecting democratic values. Any claims suggesting otherwise are speculative and are intended to create unnecessary confusion and mistrust among the public.

Chugh slammed Omar Abdullah’s misleading tweet as his continuation of spreading misinformation and misleading the people of J&K and asked Omar Abdullah to engage in responsible communication in public life, particularly when it comes to governance related matters in Jammu and Kashmir and to engage in dialogue that builds trust and transparency.

Chugh said that Omar Abdullah should refrain from spreading misinformation and should focus on constructive dialogue that benefits the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Our commitment to the democratic process and the region’s welfare remains unwavering. Our actions are consistently aimed at promoting stability, development, and harmony within the region, unlike Abdullah, who always creates confusion among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and engages in opportunistic politics without a thought for the welfare of the region. The fear of losing the elections has made him give such baseless statements.

Chugh said “I believe that the people of Jammu-Kashmir have full faith in the efforts made by Prime Minister Modi in restoring peace, development and democracy and it is clearly reflected in the outstanding polling numbers and I can say this without a doubt that the people will give their mandate in favor of the BJP.