Chief Minister and Working President National Conference, Omar Abdullah Saturday while recognizing the hard work of National Conference workers in helping coalition candidate to win the Parliament Election in Jammu pision said that the voting pattern of all the Assembly segments in Jammu amply depict that National Conference workers have fully rallied behind the NC-Congress coalition candidates.“Your hard work is fully reflected in the polling percentage registered by the coalition candidates”, he maintained.According to a statement issued, while addressing party workers convention at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan here, Omar Abdullah said that National Conference has witnessed many vicissitudes in its long political life and has faced more severe and troublesome situations but emerged victorious surpassing all challenges and difficulties.
“The party workers have depicted their courage and determination to overcome the difficulties and face challenges bravely and I am sure they will do it this time again by learning the necessary lesson by the outcome of the recently concluded Parliament Elections”, he said and added that the defeat in Parliament Elections will further strengthen the party rank and file and infuse new energy in it to prove its mettle and popularity in the ensuing Assembly Election.
Omar Abdullah said that National Conference has remained the voice of the people of all regions of the State and has represented all sections of the society equally. “This voice cannot be allowed to diminish”, he maintained and said that it is immaterial who heads the party at the top level but the necessity is to galvanize National Conference once again and make it a force of public support and faith which it has remained for last over 60 years.Omar Abdullah said that National Conference has been transferred by Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as his legacy and it is not always necessary that the blood relation of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah leads the party always. He said the doors of National Conference are open to all the people of Jammu and Kashmir and they are the custodian of this only regional party whose motive has been unity, solidarity, communal harmony, equitable development and upliftment of poor particularly weaker sections of the society.
Omar Abdullah said that while introspecting the causes of defeat in the Parliament Election many workers and party leaders have pointed towards the alliance with Congress. He said that National Conference truly upheld the coalition trait and never took any step unilaterally in the process of development and giving governance to the people. “Since the day of entering into the coalition with Congress, the government led by him took decisions jointly in every sphere of administration and development”, he said most of the departments particularly R&B, PHE, Health, School Education, Housing, Irrigation, Agriculture, Urban Development, Medical Education were entrusted to the members of coalition partners. He said, he does not believe in blame game but the fact of the matter is that both NC and Congress are equally responsible for all the good or bad work done.
Omar Abdullah said that the service to people and strengthening the National Conference is his first concern and the goal. “Chair has never been his desire nor will it be in future. Our aim to be in power is to serve the people of the State to our best capacity”, he said and told the party workers that he will abide by the decision of the party rank and file regarding any future alliance with the Congress. “If you would like to be in alliance with Congress we will respect your views and if you decide against this there will be no forcing by anyone of us working at the top level”, he told the party workers.“We have fought the Parliamentary Election on national issues and did not touch the historic and unprecedented work done by the coalition government in the State because State was not going in the Assembly polls. Now we have provided you a book of our performance in five years so that you not only go through this and see yourself how much huge works in all the sectors of development have been registered in the State during the last over five and the half years all across the State. It is your duty to disseminate this information at all levels particularly at the grass roots so that people are aware that the work done of coalition government has been unprecedented and all-time best”, he said and added that the development scenario will be given further push till the notification of Assembly Election is issued.
Omar Abdullah asked the workers to gear up for Assembly Election and visit every household giving it the full account and details of the work done of National Conference led government in the State. He said NC has always remained the heartbeat of people in all areas and all regions of the State. “You have to rekindle the faith of people in the policy programmes of National Conference and binding youth with the party”, he said maintaining that the youth from all corners of the State should be given open call to join National Conference and lead it from the front.