He said that BJP is not undefeatable but that Congress has its work cut out for it
Omar Abdullah explained his tweets from March 11 where he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the Opposition should give up hopes of winning 2019 polls, saying that he was being realistic about the party's chances and not defeatist. In an article for the Huffington Post on Tuesday, Abdullah also said that BJP was not undefeatable but that Congress had a lot of work to do to be able to perform well.
Abdullah had said that the Opposition should prepare for 2024 elections and forget about having any chance of coming to power in 2019. The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister was criticised by his former coalition party, Congress, for the comments. "At this rate, we might as well forget 2019 and start planning/hoping for 2024," Abdullah had said.
'Comments realistic not defeatist'
Clarifying that he did not mean to be defeatist but realistic about their chances in the elections from the later years. He also said that the comments were not to cosy up to the BJP following their historic performance.
He also said that he would like the parties to start thinking on these lines than just criticising Modi, to start making the electorate vote for them instead of BJP. "Do we have a better economic policy? What do we plan to do about the agrarian distress? Naxal violence is still a grim reality—do we have a plan for dealing with it? Job creation remains a major area of concern—what will we do to kickstart jobs for the growing numbers finishing school and college? There are a number of things that we are criticising PM Modi for, and the time has come to present an agenda for the future that addresses these issues in the hope that the voter will trust us to carry that agenda forward," he wrote.
Modi a formidable leader and effective communicator
He also praised PM Modi for being an effective communicator. "In Prime Minister Modi, the BJP has a formidable leader... Anyone who can sell the bitter pain of demonetisation as a sweet tonic that cures all ills is a master salesman who would probably be able to sell sand in the Sahara and ice to the Eskimos."
He also said that the grass root level work of the RSS, the ability to the media to their benefit and cash flow by the party's donors helped BJP's win.
Congress failed to capitalize in Goa and Manipur
He also pointed out machinations used by the BJP to claim majority in Goa and Manipur and form government. "By hook or by crook they were able to make up the numbers, and after having been voted in to second place in both states, with their sitting Chief Minister losing in Goa, they have converted a 3-2 result in to a 1-4 result."
He also criticised the Congress' failure to do so despite winning more seats in both states. "They were only two members short in Goa and three in Manipur. They should have been able to play this numbers' game in their sleep," he said.
Comparing the political situation from 2014, he also said that the Congress' habit of relying on Rahul Gandhi for victory echoes the party's narrative from 2004. "As long as it's Mrs Gandhi against Vajpayeeji, nothing will end their hold on power. Well, we all know what happened in 2004, don't we?"
He added that the BJP was not undefeatable but Congress "had its work cut out".
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 "Omar Abdullah")
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