Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise his government by engineering defections from the National Conference, alleging that legislators were offered cash, ministerial positions and assurances on restoring statehood.
Abdullah made the allegation on Saturday while addressing National Conference workers at Hazratbal in Srinagar during a convention marking the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah. He said one party legislator had been approached with an offer of between Rs 20 crore and Rs 30 crore, along with a place in the ministry if he switched allegiance.
The chief minister did not identify the legislator or present documentary evidence during his speech. He maintained that the alleged approach was part of a wider attempt to split the National Conference and remove the elected government. He said his party’s lawmakers would not sell their loyalty and that financial inducements would fail to break the organisation.
The BJP rejected the accusation and challenged Abdullah to disclose evidence. Its Jammu and Kashmir leadership demanded that he either substantiate the charge or apologise, warning that it could consider legal action. The party described the claim as an attempt to divert attention from governance failures and internal strains within the ruling National Conference.
The confrontation has sharpened political tensions ahead of a National Conference-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, when Parliament’s Monsoon Session begins. The protest will press for restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, which became a Union Territory after the former state was reorganised in August 2019.
Abdullah linked the alleged inducements to that unresolved demand, claiming statehood was being presented privately as a reward for defectors while being withheld from the population. He asked the Centre to explain what it meant by restoring statehood at an “appropriate time” and warned that his government’s patience should not be interpreted as weakness.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has invited opposition parties, the BJP and other political groups to join the Delhi protest. The party has also sought support from civil society organisations and elected representatives, positioning statehood as an issue extending beyond party rivalry. Organisers say the demonstration will remain peaceful.
The campaign has gathered force because assembly elections have been completed and an elected administration is functioning with restricted authority. Police, public order and several key administrative powers remain under the lieutenant governor, limiting the chief minister’s control compared with that of a government in a full state.
The Supreme Court, while upholding the 2019 constitutional changes in December 2023, recorded the Centre’s assurance that statehood would be restored and said the process should occur at the earliest. Assembly elections were held in three phases in September and October 2024, ending more than five years of central rule and producing a National Conference-led government.
The National Conference won 42 of the 90 elected assembly seats, while its pre-poll allies helped the coalition cross the majority mark. The BJP secured 29 seats, becoming the principal opposition party and retaining a strong base in Jammu. The numerical gap means a change of government would require a substantial realignment among legislators or coalition partners.
Defection rules under the Tenth Schedule allow disqualification of legislators who abandon their party, although a merger supported by at least two-thirds of a legislature party can receive protection. Abdullah’s reference to an engineered split appeared aimed at highlighting that threshold and reinforcing discipline within his ranks amid speculation over cabinet expansion and competing aspirations.
Political mistrust has also been heightened by earlier cross-voting controversies. A Rajya Sabha election in 2025 produced a BJP victory in one of four seats with support from legislators outside the party, prompting questions about voting patterns and opposition unity. The National Conference denied any arrangement with the BJP and said its lawmakers had followed party instructions.
