Jammu: Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma on Saturday claimed that the Omar Abdullah-led government would not complete its five-year term, alleging there was growing dissatisfaction within the ruling National Conference (NC).
Sharma, who was speaking during a visit to Reasi, described the NC as a “broken party” and said the government had failed to fill three vacant ministerial positions despite being in office for nearly two years.
“The National Conference is currently a broken party,” Sharma, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said, alleging that only five ministers were running the government despite three vacancies.
He claimed that there was “something wrong” within the government and the party and said dissatisfaction among ministers could eventually lead to the collapse of the ruling party.
“This government is not going to run for a long time,” the BJP leader said when asked whether the National Conference would complete its five-year term.
The LoP also criticised the government over issues raised by people during his visit to Reasi, including water shortages, electricity curtailment and protests by various categories of employees.
He said people were facing problems on multiple fronts and accused the government of failing to provide timelines for resolving public grievances.
“We will fight this fight from the Assembly to the streets,” the Leader of Opposition said.
On the issue of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Sharma said he would not comment as the matter was sub judice and currently before the court.
Responding to NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah’s reported remarks that panchayat elections would not be held until restoration of statehood, Sharma accused the Abdullah family of trying to prevent the establishment of grassroots democracy.
He alleged that the Abdullah family had treated Jammu and Kashmir as its political domain for generations and questioned the rationale behind linking local body elections with restoration of statehood.
Sharma said people who wanted to contest panchayat elections and serve their villages should not be made to wait, alleging that the NC was adopting a “double character” on the issue of grassroots democracy.
He also criticised the government over what he described as its limited engagement with the media and said public issues should be given clear timelines for resolution. (KNO)
