The Hindu : Omar accepts defeat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 11, 2002

National

National

Omar accepts defeat

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR OCT. 10. While the National Conference has humbly accepted defeat in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the newly emerged People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress have said that it is the people's verdict against the misrule of the NC. For the Hurriyat Conference, the results make no difference.

The NC president, Omar Abdullah, who lost the Ganderbal seat to the PDP, said: "We have accepted the defeat. We have no doubt lost, but democracy has won.'' He, however, predicted that this Assembly would not last long and elections would be held before its term expired. "We will work towards making our party more strong and will have introspection as to what led to our defeat,'' he said. He ruled out staking claim to form a government or supporting one... "We will sit in the Opposition''.

The outgoing Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, too accepted the verdict and said: "I am happy that elections were conducted in a free and fair manner... I hope what we could not do, the next Government will do.''

The PDP president, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said the people had given the verdict against the NC as it had failed to come up to their expectations. "We channelled the misrule of the NC and the people were convinced,'' he said adding that the issue of security to the people was the major task the new Government would have.

The PCC president, Ghulam Nabi Azad, echoed the Mufti's views and said the NC could not do what the people expected from it. He said the new Government would work towards the restoration of peace and would pay attention to the development and prosperity of the State.

The Hurriyat Conference has expressed the hope that if the PDP and Congress came to power they would keep their promise of working towards the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

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