Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 4 

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday described the assembly election outcomes in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu as “political earthquakes”, warning their after-effects could be felt “far and wide” for years, possibly until 2029.

In a post on social media platform X, Abdullah said the results would have long-term political implications beyond the two states. “The aftershocks of these results will be felt far and wide for a long time, probably all the way up to 2029,” he wrote.

Earlier in the day, Abdullah posted a brief two-word reaction – “Bloody hell!!” – accompanied by emoticons, as early trends emerged. 

The post drew widespread attention online and was widely interpreted as a response to the unfolding results.

By evening, the post had garnered around 1.8 million views and more than 23,200 likes, according to platform metrics.

In a subsequent, more measured post, Abdullah called for “sane and sensible interpretation” of election trends, referring to veteran broadcaster Prannoy Roy. 

He said he was following coverage via digital platform DeKoderAI.

CM Abdullah and his father, Farooq Abdullah, had in recent days expressed confidence in a victory for Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party, despite some exit polls predicting a setback in West Bengal.

Exit polls had broadly not forecast a defeat for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu.

The National Conference, led by the Abdullah family, is part of the opposition INDIA bloc headed by the Congress. 

The Trinamool Congress and DMK are also constituents of the alliance.