J&K People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone said that BJP would have faced public rejection for scrapping article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir if it had contested polls in the Valley.
Sajad Lone, who is being accused of being BJP’s “team B” in the Valley, denied having any association with the party and blamed Omar Abdullah for helping BJP by creating a false narrative.
Mr Lone said the parliament election was the first test of “moral acceptance or rejection” of BJPs decision on Article 370 and they chose not field any candidate to avoid facing the defeat.
“I had this idea a year ago that BJP will not field candidates for parliament elections in Kashmir because it’s the first election after abrogation of Article 370,” said Mr Lone.
“Everyone knew they will not field candidates because if they will get just one percent vote. It would have meant a moral rejection. So they made a clever move not to field candidate” said Sajad Lone.
Mr Lone said that BJP is a peripheral party in Kashmir and blamed Omar Abdullah for helping BJP like several other Muslim leaders in the country.
“There are several Muslim leaders in the country who work for BJP, Omar Abdullah has also been hired by BJP and he’s terming every opponent of National Conference as B team of BJP in Kashmir,” he said.
The BJP, meanwhile, said that it is the “kingmaker” and without their support no one can win parliament elections in the Valley.
“We are the kingmakers. We have support of people in every part of the Valley and without our support no party can win these elections” said Ravindra Raina, BJP’s J&K President.
Top BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah have appealed people in Kashmir to vote for any candidate who fights against National Conference and the PDP.
Mr Lone who is contesting from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat against Omar Abdullah has sought an apology from National Conference leader for making “false” allegation against him about his links with BJP
Mr Abdullah had accused Sajad Lone of publicly accepting that he’s part of the BJP.
“If Omar Abdullah is true in his claim that I have made a statement of being part of BJP, let him show the clip. I am ready to tender a public apology. And if this is false, then he should apologise,” said Mr Lone
