Doda: In a spirited rally held in Doda on Sunday, Arvind Kejriwal, the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), extended a hand of cooperation to the Chief Minister designate of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah.
AAP पर विश्वास कर डोडा में ऐतिहासिक विजय दिलाने वाली जम्मू कश्मीर की आवाम को धन्यवाद देने आज डोडा आया हूँ। https://t.co/FERwzm2EJn
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 13, 2024
Kejriwal emphasised the unique challenges Abdullah may face in governing a region where significant authority resides with the Lieutenant Governor. “Like Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir have also been made a half state; all power has been given to the Lieutenant Governor,” he stated, encouraging Abdullah to reach out for assistance if needed, highlighting his experience in managing Delhi’s governance.
The rally celebrated AAP’s recent electoral success, as their candidate Mehraj Malik triumphed in the Doda constituency, marking the party’s inaugural victory in Jammu and Kashmir. Malik, a member of the District Development Council, secured 23,228 votes, defeating BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana by a notable margin of over 4,538 votes.
Other candidates in the race, including National Conference leader Khalid Najib Suharwardy and DPAP’s Abdul Majid Wani, garnered 13,334 and 10,027 votes respectively, while Congress’s Sheikh Riaz Ahmad fell to fifth place with only 4,170 votes.
Kejriwal expressed hope that Malik would be assigned a meaningful role within Abdullah’s government, allowing him to effectively contribute to the governance of Jammu and Kashmir. “Since AAP has supported the Omar Abdullah government, I hope that our Mehraj Malik (AAP MLA) will be given responsibility in Omar Abdullah’s government so that he can serve the entire Jammu and Kashmir along with Doda,” Kejriwal said.
AAP’s backing of Abdullah’s coalition shows INDIA Bloc’s strategic alliance as the National Conference and Congress coalition takes the reins after a successful assembly election campaign, winning a combined total of 48 seats, with the National Conference significantly boosting the alliance with its 42 seats.
Following his election as the leader of the legislature party, Abdullah met with Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, formally claiming the right to form the government. The swearing-in ceremony is anticipated to occur either on Tuesday, October 15, or Wednesday, October 16, depending on the completion of necessary paperwork.
