Srinagar, Oct 1: Awami Itihad Party (AIP) Chairman Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, on Tuesday said the National Conference will not hesitate in joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir if they fall short of a majority in the assembly election.

Rashid said this after casting his vote at a polling station in Langate in Kupwara district as part of the third and last phase of voting in the assembly elections.

“If BJP and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah feel… there is no other way to join hands with the PDP… it is my prediction that NC and BJP will not desist from forming the next government in Jammu and Kashmir,” Rashid told media persons.

After the scrapping of Article 370, He said, “There would be more bad things for the people of Jammu and Kashmir that would have to be seen by the NC-BJP government.”

He alleged that for these power-hungry leaders there is nothing more important than rule people.

“Those who are fighting for power in Kashmir are not talking about the people but safeguarding the interests of Delhi in Kashmir,” he said.

Engineer Rashid, the Member of Parliament from Baramulla, was released from Tihar jail on 20 days interim bail to campaign for his AIP party members, which will end on Wednesday. Rashid is serving charges under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

“This vote is not important for me but for the whole people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said and added “the importance of voters is till 6 pm today and during this period all media and political parties will follow them after that no one would care for the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.

The people will again be dependent on police, bureaucracy, patwari, Munshi of a police station and face state oppression, he remarked.

UNI