'Dissatisfied members of INDIA bloc may form separate alliance if…': Farooq Abdullah

Farooq Abdullah said parties should only seek seats where they are dominant and it is wrong to seek seats where they are not.

Farooq Abdullah at Parliament House during the winter session in New Delhi. (File photo: ANI)

Lok Sabha polls: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said there is a threat to the INDIA bloc if a consensus on seat sharing is not reached soon. He claims that some members may try to form a separate group.

Speaking to former minister Kapil Sibal on his YouTube channel, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said there is very little time left for the Lok Sabha elections.

When asked about the lack of clarity on the seat sharing arrangements in the INDIA alliance, Abdullah said:

“If we have to save the country, we will have to forget the differences and think about the country.”

“If the seat-sharing arrangement is not finalized, there is a threat to the alliance. It has to be done in a time-bound manner. It is possible that some will come together to form a separate alliance, which I think is the biggest danger. There is still time,” he said.

Abdullah said parties should only seek seats where they are dominant, and that it is wrong to seek seats where they are not.

He said that not only democracy is in danger, but the future generation will also not forgive us.

“That challenge lies ahead of us. “If we don't put aside our egos and join hands to think about how to save this country, I think that will be the biggest mistake on our part,” he said.

The NC chief said the alliance members recently met at a hotel in Delhi where it was agreed that there is not much time left.

“We discussed that there should be such a person who can get everyone on board by putting aside our differences. If we have to save the country, we will have to forget the differences and think about the country,” he said.

Abdullah said last time that TMC leader Mamata Banerjee was not ready to share seats with the Left, but this time she offered that the Left can contest from where it can win.

People making statements against her are widening the differences, he said.

“Why are you looking for seats where you can't win,” he said.

Sibal asked that “these people (BJP) take the name of Lord Ram but do not follow his ideals,” to which Abdullah said, “Ram Rajya means equality for all. We are also waiting for the arrival of Ram Rajiya”.

“Lord Ram was 'vishwa ka Ram' and I hope Ram Rajya will come one day,” the NC chief said.

(Only the headline was reworked by India.com staff. The copy is from an agency feed)