Abdullah father-son duo on a different page – Farooq bats for alliance with PDP, Omar says ‘put a lid on speculation’

However, on the same day, the senior Abdullah’s son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah has called any talks of a post-poll alliance with the PDP “premature speculation”. The PDP’s Iltija Mufti has also termed them as “unnecessary speculation”.

Farooq said everyone must stick together in J&K to overcome the “difficult situation” that it is in.

“We are in a very difficult situation, we have a tough job ahead. See the situation of our children – educated with high degrees but without any jobs. See the drug menace that we see today. All the contracts are going to people from outside. We can’t even collect a spoon of sand (from the river bed),” he said, adding: “All of us have to strive together.”

Both the NC and the PDP are constituents of the INDIA bloc as well as the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). However, they did not fight the Assembly election as part of an alliance and fielded candidates against each other.

In a post on X, Omar Abdullah was not as reconciliatory towards the PDP as his father. “They (PDP) haven’t extended support, they haven’t offered support, and we don’t know what the voters have decided yet, so I really wish we could put a lid on all this premature speculation for the next 24 hours,” he said.

This stance was echoed by Iltija Mufti, the media adviser for her mother and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. “Unnecessary speculations. Let me put the record straight. PDPs senior leadership will take a call on extending support to a secular front only once the results are out. This is our official stand,” she posted on X.

According to exit polls, the NC-Congress alliance is likely to get most seats but may fall short of the majority. In such a scenario, the PDP may play an important role in the government formation. The votes will be counted Tuesday.