SRINAGAR: Weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the rift between the arch-rivals Jammu Kashmir National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has become more visible now. After the virtual collapse of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the dormant fault lines of the INDIA bloc alliance’s members in Jammu and Kashmir have been exposed again as they will be taking on each other on the three Lok Sabha seats across Kashmir.
The political rumblings started, a day after National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) might not field candidates against his party in Kashmir. Today, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti reacted and said Omar’s words have hurt PDP.
The erstwhile state’s former chief ministers alleged each other of slamming doors and traded blame.
“The way Omar Abdullah said, PDP doesn’t exist and is nowhere, hurt us. According to him, PDP has no workers or support and we will not get a single seat. It hurt my workers and broke their hearts,” she added. “Omar’s statement had disappointed and humiliated my workers. My party workers are telling me that we should also pitch candidates.”
She announced that the party will field its candidates from Lok Sabha constituencies in Kashmir, saying that the candidates will be announced within a few days. However, according to Abdullah, he had not “made any remarks about her party and, therefore, he has nothing to say on this”.
“What can I say about this? It is their own will. How can I stop them? We announced candidates for the three seats of Kashmir based on their formula,” he said. He said the formula evolved during the understanding within PAGD during the DDC polls.
But according to Mehbooba, when the INDIA alliance’s meeting took place in Mumbai, “I said (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.
But the NC decided to contest all three seats in Kashmir unilaterally, she added especially at a time when there is a need for unity. “Youth are in jails, we cannot raise our voices, and even the family members of employees cannot say anything. There is an atmosphere of oppression here. So, in such an atmosphere, we must stand united,” she said in a presser.
Yesterday, in a press meeting Abdullah had slammed the media for trying to create a rift between the National Conference and the PDP.
“Why are you making the PDP fight us? Has the PDP said anywhere that they will contest elections? It is you people who are fuelling this. I heard the speech of Mehbooba Mufti in Delhi, she said Farooq sahib and we are together and we will not break the INDIA alliance. Why are you trying to make us fight?” he asked.
The question remains whether the PDP will field candidates from Jammu where the NC-PDP were supporting Congress candidates as part of INDIA bloc alliances.
