Omar Abdullah Warns INDIA Bloc: Bill Could Tilt Power Toward BJP

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the INDIA bloc must adopt a united position on the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2026, cautioning against unilateral responses.  

Speaking in Srinagar after inaugurating the Know Your Artisan initiative, Abdullah informed that he would attend the bloc’s 3 pm meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi.

He stressed that the National Conference’s stance would be shaped collectively, as the opposition alliance must decide its role in both Houses of Parliament.

Abdullah raised doubts about the delimitation process, warning that the Bill could be designed to benefit the BJP rather than ordinary voters. He recalled the 2023 delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that constituency boundaries and voter shifts were manipulated to favour one party.

“The way seats were allocated, the manner in which constituencies were drawn, and the shifting of voters; the objective was to ensure the BJP and its allies gained advantage,” he said.

Chief minister added that if the new Bill follows the same trajectory, prioritizing partisan benefit over democratic fairness, then the INDIA bloc must respond decisively.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders are expected to deliberate on whether to challenge or cooperate with the government’s legislative move.

Abdullah further addressed economic issues, revealing that a new industrial incentive policy is being drafted to replace the one that expired last September. He acknowledged that the earlier policy had failed to deliver tangible results.

“We announce incentives from above, but at the ground level there is no benefit. Investment doesn’t come, factories aren’t set up,” he said.

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