Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti re-elected as PDP President for 3rd term

Mehbooba was re-elected as PDP President at a function at PDP headquarters in Srinagar by a total of 170 members.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister was on Thursday re-elected as the President of the People's Democratic Party unopposed for the third time, sources said. It is learnt that Mehbooba was re-elected as PDP President at a grand function at the party office in Srinagar.

No other candidate stood against Mehbooba Mufti. Sources said that a total of 170 members of the party cast their votes in today's election. Apart from Srinagar, the leaders and workers of the Jammu province also took part to elect Mehbooba Mufti as the president of the party at the Jammu office. Party leaders and workers congratulated Mehbooba Mufti after her re-election as president.

Several celebratory events were organized across the valley where the workers shouted slogans in favour of Mehbooba Mufti. Speaking on this occasion, the leaders of the party said that after the repeal of Article 370, Mehbooba Mufti is the “only one standing in favor of the Kashmiri people”. Youth PDP leader Waheed Para said that “leaders who claimed to represent Kashmiri people have opened saloons and beauty parlours in their offices after the abrogation of Article 370”.

Meanwhile, other PDP leaders including Naeem Akhtar, Mehboob Baig targeted the National Conference and said that the leaders of the party did not speak in favor of the Kashmiri people after the cancellation of Article 370. Speaking on the occasion, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said, “We have affiliated with Idea of India” in a veiled dig at the Prime Minister led BJP government at the Centre.

Speaking in the ongoing bombing by Israel in Gaza, Mehbooba said that Israel “is committing genocide against Palestinians”. “Palestine is not going to die. Did the Jews end up being killed by the Nazis?” she asked. Hitting out at the BJP government at the Centre, she said, “You cannot oppress the people of Jammu and Kashmir by force of gun and other agencies”.

“They go to the houses of the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and blackmail them and ask them to vote for them and they will release the relatives,” she said.