Big setback for PDP as 3 senior leaders resign

A day after the People's Democratic Party expelled eight leaders for engaging in parleys with the government against the will of the people, three senior PDP leaders have resigned from the party. Of the three leaders, one is the son of expelled PDP leader Mohammad Dilawar Mir.

Srinagar:Three senior PDP leaders announced their resignation from the party on Friday, a day after eight of its leaders were expelled for going "against the will of the people" by engaging in parleys with the government.

Those who have resigned from the party are former Rafiabad MLA Yawar Mir, Muntazir Mohiuddin and former president of the party's youth wing Showkat Gayoor.

The three confirmed that they have resigned from the party but did not specify their future plans.

Yawar is the son of Mohammad Dilawar Mir, who was among the eight leaders expelled by the PDP on Thursday. The expelled leaders have thrown their weight behind former PDP leader Syed Altaf Bukhari and were part of a delegation that met Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu On Tuesday.

They also met the visiting envoys from 15 countries who arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Speculations are rife that Bukhari is launching a new political party with the help of disgruntled leaders in the PDP, Congress and other parties.