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New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday urged the Opposition to function as a unified force, warning that the current lack of cohesion has left the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) “on life support”. Speaking at a media event, he argued that only a coordinated coalition can take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Abdullah acknowledged the BJP’s formidable political machinery, saying the party treats every election as if “its life depends on it”. While rejecting claims of vote theft or suggestions that electronic voting machines are rigged, he noted that electoral outcomes can be influenced through constituency redrawing and alterations to voter lists.
Reflecting on the INDIA bloc’s internal tensions, Abdullah stressed that unity must go beyond rhetoric. “Either we are a bloc, in which...decisions should be taken together... Look at Bihar [polls], you pushed one constituent out, hypothetically if the JMM [Jharkhand Mukti Morcha] were to up and leave, who is to blame…” he said, in an event hosted by Hindustan Times. He argued that the alliance’s inability to take collective decisions contributed directly to the Janata Dal (United)’s departure.
“We pushed [Bihar Chief Minister] Nitish Kumar back into the arms of the NDA. He was sitting in the meeting when it was being discussed that he should be made the convenor, and it was being said that another leader would have the power of veto,” he noted.
Kumar’s JD(U) abandoned the INDIA bloc ahead of the 2024 general elections and returned to the NDA, a move Abdullah believes underscores the consequences of disunity. He cautioned that unless allies act together, the Opposition risks remaining a patchwork of state-specific parties rather than a credible national alternative.
Abdullah also highlighted what he sees as a stark contrast in political commitment. He said Opposition leaders have yet to embrace the relentless, round-the-clock political style adopted by the Prime Minister and the BJP leadership. In his view, any viable Opposition front will continue to rely on the Congress as the central anchor, given that most other partners have influence restricted to individual states.
Turning to Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah described the past year as particularly challenging following the April terror attack in Pahalgam. He said the incident shook tourist confidence and delivered another blow to an already fragile economy. “Immediate change in circumstances has reoriented the economy. We were not strong in the first place; this makes it even more difficult for us,” he said.
