Omar Abdullah Accuses BJP of Bribing NC MLAs

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged on July 11, 2026, that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempted to topple his government by bribing a National Conference (NC) legislator from Jammu. Speaking at a workers' convention in Srinagar, Abdullah claimed a BJP official and Supreme Court lawyer offered the MLA between 20 and 30 crore rupees, a ministerial position, and a promise of statehood restoration in exchange for defecting. He characterized the BJP as a "backdoor party" that orchestrates political splits to gain power where it lacks a majority.

Abdullah also criticized the central government for delaying the restoration of statehood despite holding assembly elections. He described the current administrative situation as a "punishment" for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and announced plans for a major protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20.

The BJP rejected the allegations as "baseless" and "irresponsible." National spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi and other party leaders asserted that Abdullah is using these claims to divert attention from his government's administrative failures and inefficiency. Some BJP leaders demanded that the Chief Minister provide verifiable evidence or issue a public apology, threatening a defamation lawsuit if he fails to do so.

Support for Abdullah's claims came from Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and leaders from the Congress and Trinamool Congress, who argued that the BJP frequently uses financial power to "murder democracy" and target opposition leaders across India.