Srinagar, Sep 15: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday dismissed speculation about political instability in his government, asserting that his MLAs would not switch sides and saying he had complete faith in them.
About reports and political discussions suggesting that some legislators could leave the ruling camp, CM Omar said he was not worried and did not spend his time counting his MLAs.
“Am I worried that some of my MLAs might slip away? Not in the least. I have full faith in my people,” he told reporters in Srinagar.
The CM also launched a sharp attack on those he accused of deliberately creating speculation about the stability of his government, alleging that some individuals were criticising his administration because their personal demands had not been met.
Taking particular aim at a commentator who, he alleged, had sought government accommodation, CM Omar said the criticism would have been different had the demand been accepted.
“Or take the commentator who didn’t receive a government accommodation and now uses social media against the government. Had I given him a flat in Jawahar Nagar, would he dare write like this?” he said.
The CM described the criticism as being driven by “sheer self-interest”, adding that such attacks did not concern him.
He also alleged that individuals who were now questioning his government had approached him soon after his government was formed seeking appointments or accommodation.
“These are the same individuals who came to my office in Jammu the moment the government was formed, asking to be adjusted somewhere. I did not open my mouth out of respect for them,” CM Omar said.
He said the identities of such people could be established by checking visitor records at his office, claiming that some of those now involved in “counting MLAs” had previously sought favours from his administration.
The CM’s remarks came amid a political debate over the strength and stability of the elected government, as well as criticism from the BJP over the duration of the forthcoming Assembly session.
BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma had accused the government of keeping the session short and alleged that it was not serious about addressing issues confronting the people.
CM Omar rejected the criticism, arguing that BJP-ruled states had held even shorter Assembly sessions.
“It is a seven-day session. What is non-serious about that?” he said, adding that the government would remain present in the House throughout the proceedings.
The Autumn Session of the J&K Assembly is scheduled to be held in Srinagar from September 21 to September 30.
Three days — September 23, September 26 and September 27 – are non-sitting days, making it effectively a seven-day sitting session.
On recruitment, the CM said the government was filling vacancies gradually and had instructed recruiting agencies to maintain transparency rather than rush the process.
“We could rush the process, but we have often seen that haste does not yield good outcomes,” he said, adding that taking an extra month or two was preferable if it ensured a transparent and proper recruitment process.
CM Omar said recruitment was currently underway across departments wherever vacancies existed.
