PDP legislators meet: Dissension within party hurting our interests, Mehbooba tells MLA’s
Chief Minister and PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, today chaired the meeting of the party MLAs and asked them to desist from issuing any anti-party statements emphasing that the dissensions within the party was hurting its interests.
The meeting with the MLAs came only a day after Mehbooba met the party’s top leaders in the core committee meeting which was held at her official residence. PDP president apprised the party leadership of the outcome of her meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, over the prevailing Kashmir situation, even as some leaders had pressed for snapping ties with the BJP.
Former Deputy Chief and senior PDP leader, Muzafar Hussain Beg, had called for snapping the ties with the BJP after both the PDP and BJP maintained a divergent line over the handling of Kashmir protests.
While BJP leader and Industries Minister, Chander Prakash Ganga, had sought that the protesters should be dealt with bullets, PDP Vice President, Sartaj Madni took an exception to the statement, terming it as uncalled for.
During the meeting with the party MLAs, Mehbooba assessed the reasons of the loss of the party candidate in the recent Srinagar parliamentary elections and viewed the dissensions within its ranks with concern that lead to the defeat of its candidate with former Chief Minster and NC President, Farooq Abdullah, romping home from the seat.
PDP has been facing dissensions that is believed to have contributed to its debacle. Former Minister for Revenue, Javed Mustafa Mir, who represents Chadoora assembly constituency as well as ex-Minister of state for Power, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, who had defeated former CM and NC working president, Omar Abdullah, from Sonwar assembly segment had been critical of the government functioning after they couldn’t make it to the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti’s, council of Ministers.
Both were the Ministers in the tenure of Mehbooba’s father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Also influential shia leader and MLA Zadibal, Abid Hussain Ansari, had walked out from the PDP meeting which was held before the polls to discuss the election strategy complaining about the presence of Roads and Buildings (R&B) Minister, Nayeem Akhtar, in the meeting, who was to chair the meet.
Abid’s nephew Imran Raza Ansari, had earlier resigned from the Mehbooba’s government protesting for not getting a better portfolio in the cabinet reshuffle, but later joined back the government after he was placated by CM. Zadibal MLA protested that Akhtar who didn’t represent any assembly segment should not have chaired the party meet to discuss poll strategy.
During the meeting Mehbooba also asked the MLAs to ensure better public interface so that the civil unrest in Kashmir is avoided.
KV Correspondent
