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Fissures in the People’s Alliance of Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of Jammu and Kashmir political parties, were laid bare, with Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti accusing the National Conference of reducing the alliance to a “joke”.
Addressing a press conference at the party office here, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said the National Conference’s decision was “disappointing”
“Omar (Abdullah) has himself said that the PDP is out of the alliance. You can see who has broken the alliance. We did not. This was a unique alliance, it is disappointing to see it shattered. They have reduced PAGD to a joke,” Mufti said.
The NC had earlier announced the party would contest all the three seats in the Kashmir valley and asked the Congress to contest on two seats in the Jammu region. The party also said there would be a consensus candidate of NC and Congress on the Ladakh seat.
Reacting to the development, Mufti said had the NC consulted them, her party, which was eyeing a seat from the Valley, would have left it for them.
“I am disappointed because Farooq Abdullah used to discuss every small issue with us. Today, they took such a big decision saying that PDP figures nowhere in the alliance. Had Farooq Abdullah asked us to leave seats, for unity we could have sacrificed the seats,” she said, dubbing the decision “a big setback” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
She lamented the unilateral decision, saying, “On NC’s request we contested DDC polls jointly. Many leaders left us because we could not accommodate them. For the larger cause, we stayed united.”
In a jibe at the NC, the leader said the alliance’s own leaders are weakening it, adding, “I am a fighter, but I never imagined that we will be fighting each other. Our opponent is strong and has turned Jammu and Kashmir into a prison. But NC’s decision today has changed the goal post.”
Mehbooba said that she will gauge the public sentiment before making a move, while maintaining that PDP was still a part of the opposition INDIA bloc.
No room for party that finishes third: Omar
NC vice-president Omar Abdullah in an earlier media interaction at the party headquarters said there was no question of accommodating a party that had finished in third position in south Kashmir’s Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in the last polls.
“PDP could not win the seat when its leaders had not left the party, now the party is not as strong, so how can they lay claim on the seat,” he said.
Omar Abdullah said that his party will contest polls from all three seats of Kashmir and will leave two seats of Jammu to Congress. “For Ladakh, the party won’t field any candidate but will support a consensus candidate with Congress who can defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
Omar said that they can spare the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat to Congress if the party decides to field Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi
Addressing questions about keeping the alliance together, Abdullah said all parties needed to share responsibilities for that, while criticising PDP for targeting NC on social media and on the party’s foundation day, saying it was against coalition dharma.
Omar said there was little room for PDP on the six Lok Sabha seats, adding they can be accommodated during the assembly elections.
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