October 15, 2025

Hold your breath, Jammu and Kashmir politics just got spicier! On October 14, 2025, JKPC president and MLA Sajad Lone made a thunderous declaration: his party will abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for October 24. "I would rather die than vote for the National Conference [NC]. Stop dictating to us who we should vote for and who we should not. You cannot label us. You are not Yuvraj," he said, hitting hard at the NC. Lone didn't stop there. Taking aim at NC vice-president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who claimed that abstaining means voting for BJP, Lone fired back with a sharp challenge: "Today you [Mr. Abdullah] are in the dock. You have to prove to the people that you did not deny a Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress on the BJP’s orders. Prove to the people that you are not sitting in the BJP lap." Rejecting the idea that abstention supports BJP, Lone also minced no words saying, "Your [Mr. Abdullah] sense of entitlement is synonymous with lunacy." He accused Abdullah of cozying up to the BJP, dripping sarcasm, "Do you expect our vote because you gifted crores of shawls to BJP leaders? Because you are nonstop partying with them in Delhi? Or is it because you were the first to give them a fair election certificate? Or should we support you because you were caught red-handed strolling hand in hand with the author of the draconian waqf bill, Mr. Kiren Rijiju, in Tulip Garden?" The JKPC holds just one seat in the 88-member Assembly, but Lone’s voice is loud and clear. He branded NC as "the BJP’s proxy in Jammu and Kashmir" and blasted their tactics: "You take orders from them, deny seats to other parties, and still accuse others of being aligned with the BJP. You have sacrificed everyone for them and won through lies and deceit." Lone made a sharp contrast with the Congress party, stating, "The Congress has consistently stood against the BJP and is the only national party capable of restoring statehood. Yet you humiliate them. I have personally assured support to many Congress leaders. For the NC, however, we will never vote." He also questioned the legacy of the NC government, accusing Abdullah of tarnishing the Chief Minister's reputation. "You travelled the world as Foreign Minister of the then BJP government, justifying killings in Kashmir. The people voted for a leader, what they got was an errand boy for BJP. You have brought disrepute to the institution of Chief Minister. It will take a decade to restore this institution to its former glory," said Lone, leaving no doubt about his fiery stance. With such heated words ahead of the polls, J&K’s political battlefield promises fierce battles. Stay tuned as Sajad Lone refuses to bow to NC’s pressure and stakes his claim in this high-stakes game!

Read More at Thehindu →

Tags: Jammu and kashmir, Rajya sabha elections, Sajad lone, National conference, Bjp, Congress,