No INDIA alliance in J&K? Mufti's PDP to contest alone
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has announced that the party will independently contest the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. This decision follows the National Conference (NC)'s announcement to field candidates for all three seats. In a hurriedly arranged press conference in Srinagar, she stated that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc partner, the NC, had left her party with no other option.
Why does this story matter?
On Monday, the NC unilaterally announced that it would field its candidates for all three seats. It left two seats in Jammu for Congress as part of the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing agreement. The PDP's decision has now put the Congress in a tough position, as they must pick between supporting the PDP or NC. This situation also strengthens the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s campaign against the INDIA alliance, which has seen its members contest against each other in multiple states.
Mufti criticizes NC's unilateral decision
At a press conference, Mufti criticized the NC's "unilateral" decision to contest all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the NC's leadership and stressed the need for unity among Jammu and Kashmir's political parties. "If they had to take the same decision...then they should have told me two months ago...then perhaps, for the larger interest, we would not have contested," she said.
Mufti's response to NC's decision
Mufti further said the need of the hour was for political parties to remain united. However, the attitude of the NC leadership has been hurtful, she said. "When the INDI alliance's meeting took place in Mumbai, I said there that since (NC president) Farooq Abdullah is our senior leader, he will take a decision (on seat sharing) and will do justice. I had hoped he would keep the party interests aside," she said.
Omar Abdullah responds to PDP's independent run
Shortly after Mufti's tirade, NC leader Omar Abdullah suggested that if Mufti is fielding her own candidates, then she does not want any kind of alliance. He stated, "If she is fielding her own candidates then perhaps she does not want any...alliance even for the assembly elections." The Lok Sabha elections in the union territory will be held in five phases, beginning on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar), and May 20 (Baramulla).
