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Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Vice President Omar Abdullah said that ideology keeps changing as elections are approaching referring to several politicians joining the Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party.
"I won't go into that, ideology keeps changing. Elections are here, they are ready to contest. Whenever we faced elections, they (PDP) gave calls for boycotts. Now, they are ready to enter the electoral arena. So, a change has come into their ideology," Omar Abdullah said while speaking to reporters in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal on Monday. Abdullah recalled the challenges faced by the JKNC and its leadership over the years and said, "We were proved to be true. We have always been saying since the '90s that situations would degrade here, there would be bloodshed but nothing would change. We were taunted for this our colleagues were targeted. Today, we have been proven right. We had said that whatever we gain, we will gain it through democratic ways. Whatever party they join, if they now believe in democracy, it will be a success for us." Several leaders and workers joined PDP at the party headquarters in Srinagar, in the presence of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on September 1. Speaking on occasion, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti stressed the party's agenda of reconciliation and dialogue with the Hurriyat leaders. Mufti said that the Hurriyat leaders are not "untouchables" and expressed readiness for dialogue with the latter if they wants to be "part of the process." Former Hurriyat member, Syed Salim Geelani after the People's Democratic Party said that the PDP talks about the solution of Kashmir issue and there is one voice in which the basic protection of the people is being supported. Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. It will be the first assembly poll since the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)
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