Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dubs turncoat Rasool as 'deadwood'

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday dubbed senior leader Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, who recently ended his 20-year association with National Conference to join PDP, as a "dead wood" and an "opportunist" who had "wasted" his six years as MLC.

"Never stops amazing me that opportunists like Sh Ghulam Rasool & Ajat (Ajatshatru Singh) only find fault with NC & its leadership when their terms R (are) finishing," Omar tweeted. Singh, son of former 'Sadar-i-Riyasat' of Jammu and Kashmir Karan Singh, is reportedly also deserting the party and joining BJP.

The chief minister said he was happy that the "deadwood" accumulated in the party by his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah was "clearing itself out". "Thank goodness some of this deadwood my father had accumulated is clearing itself out. My only regret - two wasted MLC seats for 6 years," he said.

Rasool, a former chief secretary of the state and a resident of Ganderbal, resigned from the basic membership and from the central working committee of the party on Wednesday citing "deteriorating" party affairs in his native constituency.

The resignations came days after Omar announced his candidature for the assembly elections from two seats of Sonawar and Beerwah while skipping his family bastion of Ganderbal and giving mandate to Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar, who had joined the party recently after deserting Congress.