HTLS 2025: Omar Abdullah On 'Vote Chori', Statehood, INDIA Bloc And BJP Strategy - Key Takeaways

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated on Saturday that the Union government and state governments cannot operate in silos and that the Union Territory model is not suitable for Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah stated that the year so far has certainly been a difficult one.

“Answer by any yardstick if you want to assess the year, it has been a difficult one,” said Abdullah in conversation with Sunetra Choudhary, the national political editor at Hindustan Times.

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Abdullah assumed office as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2024. This was the first election to be held in the union territory since the abrogation of Article 370, and in over a decade.

Been a difficult year: Omar

The National Conference leader recalled the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 tourists, the recent blast near Delhi's Red Fort, which killed at least 10 and the tensions caused by these attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

“By any yardstick, if you want to assess the year, it has been a difficult one from the security paradigm. The attack in Baisaran earlier in the year and ended the year with a blast in Delhi, which emanated from a conspiracy hatched in Jammu and Kashmir, coupled with a very difficult economic environment,” Abdullah said.

“The immediate change after Baisaran has completely reoriented our economy. We have never been a very strong economy in the first place and these circumstances made it even more difficult,” the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said.

On homegrown terrorism

When asked about the return of homegrown terrorism in India, Abdullah said that this aspect never really went away.

Abdullah's remarks come in the wake of recent terror attacks across India, starting with the Pahalgam attack in April 2025 to the more recent blast at the Red Fort in November 2025.

The Chief Minister said that governments in India and states cannot work in silos.

On Jammu and Kashmir statehood

“You cannot have an elected government that is completely removed from security-related decisions,” said Abdullah, adding that the union territory model for J&K does not work.

Jammu and Kashmir was a state until August 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated, and the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh.

Omar's party, the National Conference, has been demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

On INDIA bloc

Given the recent loss in Bihar, Abdullah said the INDIA bloc was currently on“life support.”

Abdullah said the INDIA bloc literally pushed Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal United chief Nitish Kumar into the National Democratic Alliance. Abdullah said Nitish should have been the convenor of the INDIA bloc in one of the first meetings of the bloc before the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

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Kumar, who has been with NDA since January 2024, was part of the opposition INDIA bloc earlier.

“If you are a bloc, you need to take a holistic view,” Abdullah said.

On BJP as election machine

Abdullah also mentioned the election strategy of the Bhartiya Janata Party and how the saffron party takes every election seriously.

“They fight elections as if their lives depend on it,” Abdullah said.

On FM praise

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman praised Omar Abdullah and the efforts made by the elected government to revive Jammu and Kashmir's economy.

“I must appreciate the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir who of course has met me twice in wanting and being focused to restore the economy back after the tourism, severe hit on tourism and it came to a standstill, tourism came to a standstill,” said Sitharaman.

You cannot have an elected government that is completely removed from security-related decisions.

In response to this praise, Abdullah stated it was“kind” of the union minister to praise him, but called for a better budget for the union territory.

"That's very kind of her, the next part of that would be Ma'am please show me the money, because that it in short supply," said Abdullah, adding that the Centre has been very helpful to the UT.

On Vote Chori

Abdullah said that, unlike his father, Farooq Abdullah, he doesn't believe that EVMs could be rigged. But, he said, he believes elections can be manipulated in India.

"I have never been a supporter of those who say that the machines are rigged," said Abdullah; however,“elections can be manipulated in other ways.”

Referring to the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the 2024 assembly elections, Abdullah stated that the creation of seven new constituencies in the union territory raised concerns.

"The easiest way to do this is to manipulate the voter list or redrawing of the constituencies," he added, defending Rahul Gandhi's recent claims.

Key Takeaways

• The Union Territory model is deemed ineffective for Jammu and Kashmir by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
• Recent attacks have significantly impacted the region's security and economy.
• The need for cohesive governance between the Union and state governments is emphasized.

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