In a major setback to the Opposition INDIA Bloc, the two mainstream political parties in Kashmir valley, the National Conference and the Peoples’ Democratic Party, have decided to part ways and contest against each other in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls rather than fielding a common candidate against the Bharatiya Janata Party.
With this, the two main constituents of the INDIA Bloc in Jammu and Kashmir have also brought curtains down on the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar declaration (PAGD), floated by the Kashmir-based mainstream political parties on the slogan of restoring the special status of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir and revoking Abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A.
Amid rumblings within the PAGD alliance, the first shot was fired by the National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Friday.
Accusing the PDP of targeting the National Conference, Omar announced at a Press conference on Friday that it would not agree to a seat-sharing deal with the PDP for the coming Lok Sabha polls.
Omar said the PDP came at the third number on the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in the last Parliament elections and how is it justified that the number one or number two party will leave the claim on the seat and give it to the third number?
“Also, I do not see any influence of the BJP on the seat (South Kashmir-Rajouri),” he said.
Referring to the PDP’s conduct as an alliance partner, Omar claimed every constituent must maintain the sanctity of the alliance. “The NC alone cannot be made responsible,” Omar told reporters.
In 2019 National Conference candidate Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi won the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat by securing 40,180 votes. Congress candidate Ghulam Ahmad Mir was the runner-up. He secured 33504 votes. PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti stood third garnering 30254 votes.
Later, reacting to the unilateral announcement made by JKNC vice president Omar, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said it is very unfortunate the National Conference has changed the goalpost at this crucial juncture. She also accused the NC of reducing the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to a “joke” by disbanding it. “I have always maintained that our enemy is very strong and dangerous. We should remain united to give a tough fight. Unfortunately, I was not taken into confidence by the PAGD chairman Dr Farooq Abdullah. If National Conference leadership had some reservations they should have discussed the matter. But they decided otherwise,” she said.
Mehbooba said the NC has done what the BJP couldn’t accomplish against the PAGD.
Flanked by senior PDP leaders, Mehbooba said PDP may be down but we are not out.
When asked about her party’s future strategy and whether PDP will field separate candidates on all Lok Sabha seats, Mehbooba said she would talk to the Congress on the matter and arrive at a decision soon. “We will talk to Congress in this regard and will make our decision public soon,” she said.
After the collapse of its coalition Government with the BJP in 2018, PDP lost all these three seats in 2019, including its South Kashmir stronghold of Anantnag where PDP president Mehbooba lost to the NC’s first-timer, Hasnain Masoodi.
During the initial round of seat-sharing talks, PDP had proposed to leave Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat for their party candidate while urging the National Conference to contest the Srinagar and the Baramulla constituencies. The Congress, too, had backed the suggestion.
Interestingly, the National Conference leadership may have closed down the doors but they have still kept a window open for the alliance partners during the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to a question during the Press conference on Friday, Omar said despite the PDP’s attacks on his party, the NC has told the Congress that it is ready to keep doors open for an alliance for the assembly polls in the Union Territory.
“But, first we will see their (PDP’s) approach in the forthcoming Parliamentary polls,” he added.
The NC vice president said his party has discussed the seat sharing with the Congress and the national party would contest from two seats in the Jammu region.
“We have told them to field their candidates from Udhampur and Jammu seats. We have also told them that the NC will not field its candidate on the Ladakh seat, but our endeavor should be to field a consensus candidate there who can take back the seat from the BJP,” he said.
