Srinagar: People’s Conference (PC) Chairman Sajad Lone on Friday said that his party will fight elections in all 87 assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our candidates will contest in Kashmir, Chenab Valley, Jammu and Ladakh. There will be no pre-poll alliance with anyone. We will contest on its own,” Lone said at a function in which PDP disgruntled leader Abid Ansari joined his party Peoples Conference.
Sajad Gani Lone welcomed Ansari to his party during a press conference held at Church Lane in Srinagar.
Abid Ansari said People’s Conference is his own party that was established by late Abdul Gani Lone, Iftikar Hussain Ansari and Shameem Ahmed Shameem. “I left PDP because there were some people who ruled the roost. Corruption was rampant inside the party while the promises made to him by the party were not fulfilled,” he said.
Replying to why he quit the PDP, Abid Ansari said that he had envisaged that whatever was happening in the party was wrong, “but no one heard me.”
“I never wished to be a minister,” he added. “I only asked them to fulfill my promises, promises made to my constituency. I was told employment will be given, artisan loan will be waived off but nothing happened. A few people were saying things and no one listened to the legislators and you see how people are leaving the party now.”
Sajad Lone responded to a number of questions. He said that he has no objection if Assembly Elections will be conducted in February. “Omar Abdullah has no right to fix the time for Assembly Elections. First of all he used Article 35A to stay away from local polls and now he is eagerly waiting for Assembly elections.”
To a question, Sajad Gani Lone said Farooq Abdullah should stop lying at his age. “At least Fraooq Abdullah should speak true now. My party will not only support the Autonomy Resolution but the Bill if a White Paper will be brought about 1987, 1996 and 2002 elections. Those were not elections but a selection. It should be seen why militancy erupted in Valley,” Lone said adding that the party that is responsible for erosion of autonomy is promising autonomy to people.
While answering to a question over recent civilian killings in Pulwama, Lone said that whenever there is an anti-militancy operation, “security forces should look for cost and benefits of it. If you have to kill seven civilians for killing three militants, then you have to ask questions. If there is a minor with a gun, which he doesn’t know meaning of, call off the operation?”
