J&K Leaders Dismiss Predictions, Focus On Oct 8 Outcome

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- National conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday dismissed the exit poll results for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections and said that the only numbers that will matter are the ones which will be released on the day of counting on October 8.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Abdullah said that he is ignoring all the noise on TV channels and social media.

“I'm amazed channels are bothering with exit polls especially after the fiasco of the
recent general elections.I'm ignoring all the noise on channels, social media, WhatsApp etc because the only numbers that matter will be revealed on the 8th of Oct. The rest is just time pass,” he posted on X.

J&K Congress president Tair Hameed Karra said the Congress-NC alliance is in a comfortable position to form the next government in the Union territory.

“This election was primarily to keep the BJP out of the power corridors, restoration of statehood along with land and job guarantees. I am seeing the (Congress-NC) alliance in a comfortable position to form the government,” Karra said.

He said the mandate of the people is formation of the government against“divisive forces and hatemongers”.

“People voted for redressal of their genuine grievances as they suffered a lot over the past 10 years with the top echelons of power both in the Raj Bhavan and Civil Secretariat working like kings. The BJP needs to explain to the people what they have done in the past 10 years,” Karra said.

He said the BJP has no moral right to accuse the NC and Congress of reviving terrorism and said,“Everyone knows that terrorism shifted from Kashmir to the peaceful Jammu region. Only the goal post has changed in the past 10 years.”

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) said the exit polls were not reliable and it was too premature to talk about government formation.

“We have seen that exit polls are not reliable. What matters are the numbers that will come at the end of counting,” senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said.

Asked if the PDP will support the NC-Congress coalition if need be, Akhtar said it was premature to comment on that.

“They might not even need our support. Finally, a decision on this matter will be taken by the party. All said and done, we are still part of the INDIA bloc. We have not gone anywhere,” he added.

Reacting to the exit poll predictions, J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina said his party contested the assembly polls with all its strength.

“We are confident that BJP will emerge as the single largest party when the results are out on October 8,” he said.

Raina said the BJP leadership that included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda campaigned for the party and got tremendous support from the people.

“BJP will emerge victorious on October 8 and will start working on the formation of the government. We fought the elections on our own strength. Our target is to win the elections with the blessings of the people and we will achieve splendid victory,” he said.

Most exit polls have given an edge to Congress-National Conference alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, with the regional partner emerging as the single largest party.

The NC-Congress alliance is shown to just cross the halfway mark in the 90-member house.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections were held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8, along with Haryana.

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