SRINAGAR: In anticipation of the general elections, Omar Abdullah’s erstwhile aides are spilling the beans. Barely a fortnight after Junaid Mattu’s series of tweets on JKNC’s desperation to join hands with BJP for a post-poll alliance in 2014, it is Devinder Singh Rana who is walking the talk.
“In 2014, Omar Abdullah had approached the BJP to join hands in forming a government, but the offer was turned down,” Devinder Singh Rana told reporters in Jammu. “In 2017, after the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Farooq Abdullah openly expressed his willingness to form a government with the BJP. The BJP declined the offer.”
Singh said in 2014, it was Omar personally leading the negotiations. The 2017 offer was made by Dr Abdullah in Katra and it was made publicly, he said.
“I can confidently say that numerous attempts were made, even after the abrogation of Article 370, to establish some form of strategic partnership or understanding with the BJP, as I was part of the National Conference system,” Singh further revealed.
Rana said he accompanied Omar to Delhi for the meeting with BJP leaders but they failed to convince the right-wing party. Besides, he said he was personally part of the reach-out efforts which the party made for some kind of tie-up after the reading down of Article 370.
