Srinagar: Counting of votes in Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be taken up on Tuesday even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's tweet slamming the UPA government for not conferring the Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee created a buzz.
As political parties work on strategies and possible alliances in the light of two exit polls projecting a hung house in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar downplayed his tweet on Vajpayee yesterday and said nothing much be read into it.
The National Conference(NC) leader asserted that it was "inconceivable" for his party to go with the BJP. "Don't read much into that(tweet)," Omar told reporters, shortly after another tweet in which he said, "Those of you who think parties base alliance decisions on one tweet clearly don't know how things work."
The Congress latched on to Omar's attack on the party over the Bharat Ratna issue in his tweet on Sunday, and raised questions whether the NC was warming up to BJP.
Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said Omar's father Farooq Abdullah was in the UPA government and claimed that the NC never brought a proposal for conferring the country's highest civilian honour on Vajpayee. Shukla said raising this issue at this time has got no meaning.
"Whether he is cosying upto with BJP, that I don't know, whatever they do it's upto them," he said. "Neither me, nor my father (Farooq Abdullah) have been quiet on this. We have maintained that it would have been a good gesture on part of UPA to confer Bharat Ratna on Vajpayee. I have deep regards for Vajpayee," Omar said.
The NC leader said no lines of communication are open between NC and BJP or for that matter with Congress or PDP. BJP leader Sambit Patra said Omar's suggestion on bestowing Bharat Ratna on Vajpayee was welcome but it came at a time when it raises questions since election results are coming out on Tuesday.
"Our advice to him was if he was so concerned about this whole issue then he should have made this rightful suggestion to UPA government when he was part of it for all these years".
Omar on his part said questions need not be raised on the timing of his suggestion, saying he had pitched for the award on Twitter because Vajpayee's birthday was falling on December 25. "It will be fitting for the current government to recognise Vajpayee Sahib's contribution with Bharat Ratna."
PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar while expressing confidence that his party will get a clear majority said it appeared that Omar has "something on his mind." Two exit polls have projected that PDP will emerge as the single largest party followed by BJP.
Counting centres have been set-up at all district headquarters in the state and the process will begin at 8 AM. "28 counting centres consisting of 94 halls have been set-up to conduct the counting process at all district headquarters," state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Umang Narula said.
Police has made elaborate security arrangements for the counting in the Valley and a strategy has been put in place to deal with any law and order problem which may arise during or after the counting.
Comments
0 comment