Hitting back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah claimed on Saturday that the BJP has ‘struck a deal’ with some regional political parties in Kashmir and certain independent candidates for a post-election alliance to come into power in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing an election rally in Ganderbal, Omar reacted to Shah’s remarks in Jammu on Friday. He criticised the Home Minister for not mentioning the Peoples Conference led by Sajad Lone and the Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari during the launch of the BJP manifesto.

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Omar said that while Shah spoke about the parties with which the BJP would not form the government, he was silent about the independents with whom the BJP is allegedly in league.

Shah had stated that the BJP would not form a government with the PDP, NC, or Congress and that other options would be explored if necessary.

Omar, who is contesting the upcoming Assembly election from two constituencies, questioned why Shah did not mention the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) led by Engineer Rashid, who is currently in Tihar Jail on charges of terror funding.

Omar also expressed concern over the presence of jailed individuals contesting against him, referring to the AIP and top separatist Sarjan Ahmad Barkati, who filed his nomination from Ganderbal after his papers were rejected in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Omar had been defeated by Engineer Rashid in the Baramulla constituency in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Omar alleged on Friday that the presence of jailed individuals contesting against him was part of a ‘conspiracy’ against him.

Responding to claims that he was an ‘outsider’ in the Ganderbal Assembly constituency, Omar pointed out his deep ties with the area, stating, “I was an MLA for six years from Ganderbal and MP three times. My grandfather Sheikh Abdullah was an MLA from here, my grandmother Begum Akbar Jehan was an MP and my father Dr Farooq Abdullah served as both MLA and MP from this segment.

He asked his opponents to list the development works they have undertaken in the Ganderbal area.