Opp needs shift strategy against ruthless, finely tuned BJP in 2019, Omar

Srinagar, Aug 9 : Welcoming the win of Congress leader Ahmed Patel in Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said opposition parties needs to introspect and shift strategy to counter the ruthless and finely tuned BJP political machine. The working president of the National Conference, also taking dig at Nationalist Congress Party leader Majid Menon that one vote of the party helped Mr Ahmed to won, said victory has a thousand fathers, defeat is an orphan. Mr Abdullah praised the Election Commission (EC) for what he described as "withstanding the pressure from the Centre". Taking to micro blogging site Twitter, Mr Abdullah said, "That Ahmed bhai has won is a very welcome development but it should have never been this difficult. Introspection & (and) strategy shift warranted”. “How much more evidence do we require to understand that we opposition parties are up against a ruthless, finely tuned BJP political machine," he added. “Victory has a thousand fathers, defeat is an orphan”, Mr Abdullah said in reply to a tweet “Congress should remember #AhmedPatel won because of 1 vote of NCP, otherwise it would have been very embarrassing for them:Majid Memon,NCP”. In an earlier tweet when counting of votes was stopped after Congress made an appeal to the Election Commission, Mr Abdullah had said, “I hope the guys in Gujarat count these votes faster than the RBI has been counting demonetised notes since its way past my bed time”. UNI