'Vote chori' raised by Congress, not INDIA bloc, says Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday (December 15) said that the INDIA bloc has “nothing to do” with the ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) issue raised by Congress.

Abdullah, whose National Conference is a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, said that the Congress has made ‘vote chori’ and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as its core issue, adding that every political party is at liberty to set its own agenda.

“The INDIA bloc has got nothing to do with it. Every political party is at liberty to set its own agenda. The Congress has made 'vote chori' and SIR as its main issues. Who are we to tell them otherwise?” said Omar.

“The Congress has claimed that it has collected around six crore signatures against 'vote theft' and will present the same to the President of India,” he added.

‘On life support’

Omar’s remarks come a week after he said the INDIA bloc was on “life support,” a comment that triggered sharp reactions from several alliance partners. While some leaders agreed with his assessment, others publicly disagreed, saying the Opposition grouping remained relevant.

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Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in Delhi, Abdullah used a medical analogy to describe the current state of the alliance. He said the bloc appeared to revive briefly whenever efforts were made to revive coordination among partners, but quickly lost momentum following adverse political developments. Referring to recent electoral outcomes, he said setbacks such as those in Bihar had further weakened the alliance.

‘On Bihar debacle’

Abdullah also said he believed the INDIA bloc’s internal handling of alliances had contributed to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returning to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He pointed to what he described as the failure of the Opposition grouping to adequately accommodate the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha during seat-sharing negotiations in Bihar.

According to Abdullah, such missteps had compounded internal differences within the bloc and raised questions about its cohesion and long-term direction.

Question’s INDIA bloc’s relevance

Earlier, ahead of the Delhi Assembly election, pointing to what he described as a lack of clarity over leadership, agenda and even the continued relevance of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, Abdullah suggested that the alliance should be wound up if it was meant only for the parliamentary elections.

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Responding to a question from ANI on the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections and the INDIA alliance, Abdullah said he could not comment on developments in the national capital as his party had nothing to do with the Delhi polls.

The National Conference leader said that, to his recollection, there was no time limit fixed for the INDIA alliance. However, he added that no meeting of the bloc had been held for a long time, leading to confusion over its leadership structure and political direction. “If it was formed only for the Parliament elections, then they should wind up the alliance,” said Abdullah.

(With agency inputs)