Public Participation Key To Driving Change: CM Omar Abdullah

Mumbai : Public participation is key to driving change and it begins with citizens stepping out to vote, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Thursday.
“Change can only be brought by those who are ready to take part. And taking part does not mean that I stand as a candidate. Taking part also means that I at least come out and use my vote,” Abdullah told reporters.
Abdullah, who was at the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai for an event, was responding to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks that voting is essential for a healthy democracy.
Whether in Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra or Mumbai, people have their own problems, Abdullah said. Votes will decide the fate when the results come out, he added.
“This time, the political environment in Maharashtra was also a bit strange. There were no friends, no enemies. Friends became enemies and enemies became friends. And strange relations were formed,” Abdullah said.
“Somewhere Congress and BJP shook hands. Somewhere BJP and AIMM shook hands. Somewhere two parts of one party came together again. What will be the impact of all this on the results? I am also waiting impatiently,” he added.
Elections are underway in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra. (Agencies)