New Delhi

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the opposition INDIA bloc is “on life support” and risks being wheeled into the “ICU” due to internal discord and its inability to match what he described as the BJP’s relentless election machinery.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, Abdullah listed what he called the “organisational and strategic failures” of the opposition front, sharply contrasting its approach with the BJP’s “unparalleled work ethic”.

Referring to the INDIA bloc’s present state, especially after the recent Bihar polls, Abdullah said, “We’re sort of on life support, but every once in a while, somebody brings out his paddles and gives us a bit of a shock, and we get up again. But then, unfortunately, results like Bihar happen, and we slump down again, and then somebody has to wheel us into the ICU.”

Abdullah blamed the bloc for Nitish Kumar’s return to the BJP-led NDA and cited the decision to exclude the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) from the seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar despite its presence in the state. “I believe that we pushed Nitish Kumar back into the arms of the NDA,” he said.

He argued that the opposition cannot match the BJP in electoral preparedness, stating that the ruling party’s strength goes far beyond resources. “They have an unparalleled election machine... They fight every election as if their lives depend on it. We sometimes fight elections as if we don't care,” he said. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s team works on a 24x7 model of politics, moving straight into the next election even before the previous one concludes.

Looking ahead, Abdullah said the opposition will have to accept that the Congress must be the anchor of the alliance if it hopes to mount a credible challenge. “The heavy lifting will have to be done by the Congress,” he said, noting that regional parties remain limited by geography.

On shifts within the Muslim electorate, Abdullah said parties that traditionally received Muslim votes have “made a mistake” by engaging with the community only during election time, creating space for parties like AIMIM that “espouse our cause for the entire period of five years”.

Asked whether the 2024 general election verdict was a fluke, Abdullah disagreed. “The country sent a message to the Central government, to Prime Minister Modi and others in 2024 that things are not as rosy as you made them out to be,” he said. He noted that following the polls, the Centre recalibrated its functioning and demonstrated that it could work in an alliance format.

On the issue of electronic voting machines, Abdullah reiterated that he has never supported claims that EVMs are rigged. “I have never been a supporter of those who say that the machines are rigged,” he said, but added that electoral manipulation is possible through voter lists and constituency structuring. He termed the recent delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir “essentially manipulation”, arguing that the creation of new constituencies favoured “one party and its one ally”.

He said any exercise involving voter list revision, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), must be conducted “transparently” and “fairly” to avoid allegations of bias.

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Ending on a lighter note, Abdullah said his position on EVMs has led to disagreements at home. “My dad believes everything he gets on WhatsApp,” he quipped, referring to National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.