No alliance with Congress, BJP: Omar

Abdullah on Monday out-rightly rejected entering in any coalition with the BJP and said the Hindutva party's Kashmir stand is not acceptable to his party.

"BJP was silent on Article 370 during elections. But that doesn't mean it has completely dissociated itself from the issue," Abdullah said while addressing a press conference in Srinagar's Banquet hall.

The working president of National Conference (NC) said it was matter of 'immense pride and satisfaction' for him to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the last six years.

Pertinently, the ruling coalition of the NC and the Congress comes to an end with the declaration of assembly polls' result on Tuesday.

Speaking about the formation of a new government, Abdullah said that it is inconceivable for a party like his to join hands with the BJP.

"There has been issue like Article 370 on which BJP remained mum in elections but they did not omit it from their agenda. There are issues like Babri Masjid, Uniform Civil Code and forced conversion. Having such issues before hand, how can the NC join the BJP to form government in J&K," he asked.

Abdullah said that there is no communication with the BJP on the issue of him backing the Atal Bihar Vajpayee for Bharat Ratna he said he always supported it having worked with him as a minister in his government. .

When asked whether he regrets the coalition with the Congress, the CM said that there was no alternative in 2002 but to join the party.

"There is nothing like regret despite the fact that Ghulam Nabi Azad had launched a bitter personal campaign against me and my family," he said.

Commenting upon the NSA statement which came to fore on Tuesday that 'elections in Kashmir were strategic victory over Pakistan', Abdullah said, "Elections are not plebiscite."

"You should not take assembly polls as plebiscite, if so that will create problems for upcoming elections," he said adding, "Separatists want you to interpret it like that."

He said that elections in Kashmir are held to elect representatives who shall go in to assembly and then run a civilian government here.

"Elections were not between India and Pakistan but people voted for basic necessities," said he replying to a government statement that Jammu and Kashmir government failed to control the flood situation in September, Omar termed it ironic.

"If we failed and the Union government was prepared then where were they," he asked.

"Where was NDRF, their boats? Why did Badami Bagh Cantonment lower portion submerge?" he asked.

"I don't think I made any blunders but yes there were some mistakes which are regrettable," he said adding: "2010 summer agitation, Afzal Guru Hanging and September 2014 floods are three mistakes. And if Mufti Sayeed is not able to exploit and get maximum from it, then there is surely something wrong there."

He also said that the number of stone pelters in custody runs in double figures and their cases are being reviewed and are being released.

Giving his self assessment report card, tech savvy CM rated himself 'between 6.5 and 7'.

Commenting upon the assembly results, he said that the exit polls are far different what it seems on ground.

"There is a far difference between opinion polls and TV channels," said he.

He also termed his efforts not to revoke AFSPA as one of his regrets.

The counting of votes will be held on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir which witnessed a record turnout in the multi-cornered contests to elect their assembly representatives and a new assembly.

After completion of the five phases of polling in Jammu and Kashmir on Dec 20 with overall 66 percent turnout in all five phases, now everyone is awaiting for  the results.

Jammu and Kashmir, where polling was held for 87 seats, witnessed large turnout since 1987 despite boycott calls from separatist groups as well as militant outfits.

In the 2008 Assembly Election, the ruling NC of Omar Abdullah emerged as the largest party winning 28 seats out of 87 Assembly seats.

PDP was second with 21 seats while the Congress got third spot winning 17 seats, BJP, however, could win only 11 seats.

In an early Exit Poll which claimed that People's Democratic Party (PDP) is going to emerge as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP is projected to win within a range of 35-40 seats in a House of 87.

While National Conference is projected to win within a range of 8-12 seats its coalition partner Congress is projected to win within a range of 6-10 seats.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)