Revolt In PDP As Dozens Set To Quit Party Ahead Of Jammu And Kashmir Assembly Elections

With the much anticipated assembly elections days away, PDP has suffered a major setback with several of its dissident leaders set to quit the party in the wake of the party's second list of candidates for the assembly polls which sidelined senior leaders including Abdur Rehman Veeri and Aijaz Mir, reports ETV Bharat's Mir Farhat.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Amid the fervour of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party is facing second major revolt of its leaders and activists in Kashmir after the party leadership issued its second list of constituency incharges on Monday.

The south Kashmir region comprising Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian was considered bastion of PDP supporters but the party is facing major revolt in these segments after Mehbooba Mufti denied assembly tickets to former MLAs and DDCs members.

Sources said that around 12 DDC members and former MLA Ajaz Mir have left the party and are set to join the party of jailed MP Engineer Rashid today.

The prominent DDC members of the PDP include Dr Harbaksh Singh from Tral, who is also spokesperson of the party, Raja Waheed from Shopian, Qayoom Mir from Kakpora (Pampore), DDC chairman Pulwama Bari Andrabi. Another DDC member from Ganderbal Bilal Ahmad is also joining AIP and will contest the polls as per sources.

Bilal Ahmad, sources said, is angry after the PDP decided to field Bashir Mir of Kangan on Ganderbal seat. Mir cannot contest from Kangan segment as this seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Dr Harbaksh Singh told ETV Bharat that they will join AIP today or day after and contest the elections.

Sources said that these leaders have held several rounds of meetings with AIP leaders in Srinagar and decided to join the poll fray with AIP and expand its base in south Kashmir.

AIP spokesperson Firdous Baba told ETV Bharat that several prominent political leaders and activists from Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag have approached the party to join.

"We are expanding our party in south Kashmir in the upcoming assembly elections," Baba said.

The revolt in PDP began on Monday when the party released its second list of eight constituency in-chagres for south Kashmir seats. The name also included Mehbooba's daughter Iltija Mufti who has replaced senior leader and four time legislator Abdur Rehman Veeri from Bijbhera. Veeri has been winning this assembly seat against National Conference since 1998.

Sources close to Veeri said he is also weighing options to contest as independent or switch to any other party.

Another big replacement was former MLA Wachi Ajaz Mir who was replaced by Mehbooba's former PA Ghulam Mohiddin.

Ajaz Mir resigned today from the party along with hundreds of his workers. Many of them were Mehbooba's loyalists but are angry with Mir's replacement.

In another major jolt to the PDP, Suhail Bukhari, the party's chief spokesperson and close affiliate of Mehbooba Mufti too resigned from the party on Tuesday. Bukhari, a former journalist, was the media advisor to Mehbooba Mufti when she was Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

Political observers say that the revolt in PDP at the crucial time of elections is set to dent the party further in the assembly elections.

PDP faced a big revolt in 2020 after the abrogation of Article 370 when its 40 leaders and workers left the party and formed Apni Party which is led by businessman Altaf Bukhari.

In the recent parliament elections, PDP had to face defeat of both its candidates, Mehbooba Mufti from Anantnag-Rajouri and Waheed Para, from Srinagar against National Conference candidates Mian Altaf and Aga Ruhullah.

The party managed to win only three assembly segments with a thin margin of votes in south Kashmir which the party considered its string base and faced defeats in rest of the segments with massive margins.

Observers said that the revolt by the DDCs will further dent its vote in the assembly polls as its winning prospects seem bleak.