‘Fixed match’: Omar Abdullah on delay in J&K polls

"There is a strange fixed match being played. When you ask the government, they say the decision is to be taken by the EC. When you talk to the EC, it says they have to consult the Centre to make a decision.”

Vice-President of National Conference Omar Abdullah

Blaming a “fixed match” between the Election Commission of India and the BJP-run central government for the delay in Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister and Vice-President of National Conference Omar Abdullah said that “people are facing the consequences”.

Addressing the media in South Kashmir’s Pulwama on Wednesday, he said, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have a right to use their vote. Since 2014, we have been continuously deprived of it… There is a strange fixed match being played. When you ask the government, they say the decision is to be taken by the EC. When you talk to the EC, it says they have to consult the Centre to make a decision.”

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More

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