First time since 1996, Assembly polls in J-K not being held on time: Omar Abdullah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "surrendered" before Pakistan, militants and separatists, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah said on Sunday, soon after the Election Commission's no to simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The EC announced the schedule for Lok Sabha polls to be held in seven phases across the country, including in J-K (five phases), but cited security grounds for not holding the assembly polls simultaneously. In Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, polling will be held in three phases due to security reasons.

"In light of the failure to conduct assembly elections on time in J&K I'm retweeting my tweets from a few days ago. PM Modi has surrendered to Pakistan, to the militants & to the hurriyat. Well done Modi Sahib. 56 inch chest failed. #slowclap,? Omar, the NC vice-president, wrote on Twitter.

In light of the failure to conduct assembly elections on time in J&K I’m retweeting my tweets from a few days ago. PM Modi has surrendered to Pakistan, to the militants & to the hurriyat. Well done Modi Sahib. 56 inch chest failed. #slowclap https://t.co/oqtDAfNdeb

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019

The first phase will be held on April 11, second on April 18, third on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19. Counting of votes for all seven phases would be done on May 23.

Omar said Modi's "abject surrender" to anti-India forces is "a crying shame".

"Balakote & Uri are not symbols of PM Modi's handling of national security, J&K is and look at the mess he has made there. The abject surrender to anti-India forces is a crying shame,” he said.

Balakote & Uri are not symbols of PM Modi’s handling of national security, J&K is and look at the mess he has made there. The abject surrender to anti-India forces is a crying shame.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said it was for the first time since 1996 that Assembly elections in the state were not being held on time.

“Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership,” he said.

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Omar said in 2014, J-K had Lok Sabha elections on time and assembly elections on the schedule even after the most devastating floods, but delaying them now "shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K”.

"What happened to (Union Home Minister) @rajnathsingh's assurance to Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha as well as to the all party meeting recently in Delhi that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls,” he asked in another tweet.

Omar said he never thought Modi would be “willing to confess his failure” on a global stage by not conducting the assembly polls on time in J-K.

With the amount of international attention elections in J&K attract I never thought PM Modi would be willing to confess his failure on a global stage but we all make mistakes & that was mine,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)