Jammu & Kashmir election results: Omar Abdullah open to talks with PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti if...

Jammu and Kashmir's election result: The National Conference is open to talks with Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if a channel of communication opens from the latter's side, said the party vice president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, adding that the matter is not a priority for his party at the moment.

While interacting with the media, Omar Abdullah empathised with PDP after its poor show in the J&K Assembly elections. He said that he understands there must be many “internal discussions going on among the party leaders” and added that JKNC is open for talks if “a channel of communication opens at some point in time”.

Omar Abdullah also made it clear that neither his party has made any approach to the PDP, nor the PDP has made any effort to initiate talks.

“Right now, we are not having any talks on this. No approach has been made to us by the PDP, we have made no approach to them. I think, at the moment, given the results of the elections, which have been quite a setback to them, I can understand that there must be a lot of internal discussion going on. At some point in time, if a channel of communication opens, we will sit down and talk to them. But it's not a priority for us at the moment,” ANI quoted the newly-elected MLA, Omar Abdullah. 

After securing a resounding victory in the J&K Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah expressed gratitude to the public. He said, “I am very thankful to the voters of J&K that they utilised their votes despite democracy not being allowed to thrive here for the last 8-10 years. JKNC-Congress alliance received the majority.”

Omar acknowledged the voters' thoughtful participation and said, “Voters voted with due deliberation, especially in the areas where conspiracies were being hatched to divide votes through Independent candidates and small parties. The outer regions of Kashmir and Jammu foiled this conspiracy, but except for two to three, everyone else had to face defeat. This gives you a sense of understanding of the voters."

Omar Abdullah is poised to be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after the National Conference-Congress alliance won an absolute majority in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, winning 48 seats in the 90-member assembly.

However, after winning only three seats, former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti's PDP witnessed one of its worst performances in elections. 

On the other hand, Sajad Gani Lone's People's Conference and the Aam Aadmi Party won one seat each, and seven independent candidates won in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.