FILE photo: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that it was his National Conference's decision to go it alone in the state polls, something he had conveyed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi in a meeting "10 days ago".
Mr Abdullah's remarks came after the Congress today declared that it would "fight the forthcoming election on our own strength". Assembly polls in the state are due in November.
"I met Gandhi 10 days ago (and) thanked her for all her support. I conveyed NC's decision to fight the (coming) elections alone (sic)," Mr Abdullah tweeted, adding, "I explained the reasons but also told her I wouldn't be making a public announcement because I didn't want it to look opportunistic (sic)." He also said, "For it to be spun now as a Cong decision is wrong & a complete distortion of the facts, not surprising but incorrect none the less (sic)."
Just hours earlier, senior Congress leader Ambika Soni had, in a formal announcement of an end to the five-year partnership, said, "We will put up candidates or support candidates whom we want to support, independent or anybody in all the 87 seats."
Ties between the two parties soured following the alliance's shocking rout in the Lok Sabha elections in May - the Congress lost all the three seats it fought in tie-up with the National Conference.
State Congress workers had reportedly expressed their unhappiness over the alliance at a day-long convention of the party held in Jammu yesterday that was attended, among others, by Ms Soni, who is in charge of the state, former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and state party chief Saifuddin Soz.
The Congress has 17 members in the 87-member state legislative assembly.