Srinagar: Omar Abdullah on Friday dismissed speculation of an internal rift within the ruling Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), asserting that there would be “no Eknath Shindes” in his party amid opposition claims of possible defections.
The remarks came in response to statements made by BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma, who alleged that the JKNC was facing an internal crisis and that several legislators were prepared to rebel.
Sharma had also claimed that the delay in cabinet expansion was linked to fears of dissent within the ruling party. Rejecting the allegations, Abdullah said all National Conference MLAs remained firmly with the party and accused the BJP of attempting to engineer political instability in the Union Territory. Referring to the 2022 Maharashtra political split led by Eknath Shinde, Abdullah said such a rebellion would not take place in his party.
“It tells you about the BJP’s intentions. Eknath Shinde left the party because BJP helped him do so. It appears the Leader of Oppositon (Sharma) is very eager to capture the Chief Minister’s chair in J&K. I must tell him there is no Eknath Shinde in the National Conference,” the NCP chief told NDTV, while reacting to Sharma’s statement.
The Chief Minister also clarified that the cabinet expansion had been delayed due to the non-restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and not because of internal divisions. He accused the Centre of withholding statehood and suggested that BJP leaders were linking governance issues with political control in the region.
The political exchange comes amid heightened tensions between the ruling National Conference and the BJP over governance and the future political status of Jammu and Kashmir. PDP leader Wahid Ur Rehman Parra had recently also hinted at the possibility of instability within the ruling alliance following disagreements over cross-voting during Rajya Sabha elections.
