NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday criticised INDIA bloc ally Congress for its inconsistent stance on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), taking a pointed swipe at the party’s selective trust in the voting mechanism.
In an exclusive interview with news agency PTI, Abdullah said, “When you get over a hundred members of Parliament using the same EVMs and celebrate that as a victory, you can’t then turn around and blame them when the results don’t go your way.”
“If you have problems with the EVMs, then you should be consistent in those problems,” he added.
Continuing to toe a different line from Congress, Abdullah praised the new Parliament building, a project the grand old party had sharply criticised.
“Contrary to what everybody else believes, I think that what’s happening with this Central Vista project in Delhi is a damn good thing. I believe constructing a new Parliament building was an excellent idea. We needed a new Parliament building. The old one had outlived its utility,” the J&K CM said.
His remarks add to growing friction between the National Conference and Congress, allies within the INDIA opposition bloc. Abdullah expressed disappointment over the Congress’ performance during the
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections
, where the National Conference carried much of the campaign burden. The NC secured 42 seats compared to Congress’ six in the 90-member assembly.
‘Convenient hypocrisy’: Abdullah on BJP’s dynasty politics criticism
Addressing criticism of dynasty politics, Abdullah rejected the notion that family lineage guarantees political success. Drawing from personal experience, he told PTI, “Belonging to a political family is not a lifelong ticket to success. I’ve lost elections despite my family’s legacy.”
Abdullah criticised the BJP for its selective outrage against dynasties, pointing out that the party tolerates such politics among its allies. “The BJP has no problem with political families that align with them. It’s convenient hypocrisy,” he said. Abdullah underscored that dynastic politicians in opposition are often unfairly targeted while similar practices within the BJP’s ranks remain unchallenged.
He also reflected on his own family’s political journey, noting that his sons would need to build their careers independently. “Nobody is going to give them anything on a plate,” he remarked.
‘Some allies feel Congress isn’t doing enough to justify its role’
Omar Abdullah also took aim at Congress’ role as the leader of the INDIA bloc, questioning whether the party has done enough to justify its leadership position.
“By virtue of being the single largest party in Parliament, and also having the leader of opposition in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the fact that they have a pan-India footprint, which no other party can lay claim to, they are natural sort of leaders of an opposition movement,” he acknowledged.
However, he added, “Yet there is a sense of disquiet among some of the allies because they feel the Congress is ‘not doing enough to justify it or to earn it or to keep it. That’s something the Congress might wish to consider.”
Abdullah criticised the bloc’s sporadic engagement, arguing that its activities can’t be limited to a few months before elections saying, “you just come alive once Lok Sabha elections are announced and suddenly start talking and trying to work things out.”
