Team News Riveting
Ever since the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was formed in 1999, it has been the alternative to the National Conference (NC), which had held almost unquestioned sway in the Valley till then.
The Muftis became a dynasty to rival the Abdullahs, the family that had led Kashmir into the post-Partition era.
Now with the political existence of Abdullahs and Muftis at stake, the latter is in more bad shape; NC’s Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti have joined hands in the pretext of revoking Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah has been elected as chairman and vice-chairperson of the newly formed Peoples’ Alliance of seven mainstream parties of Jammu and Kashmir for the restoration of Article 370.
Veteran CPM leader MY Tarigami was elected as the convenor while Lok Sabha member from South Kashmir Hasnain Masoodi would be the coordinator of the conglomerate known as People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Sajjad Gani Lone of People’s Conference would be the spokesman for the amalgam.
The alliance adopted the flag of the erstwhile state as its symbol.
The union of NC and PDP was more of a compulsion than a commitment for the people of Kashmir. Both the regional parties are losing ground fast in the state especially after Article 370 was abolished in the state.
While the Abdullahs are confused to deal with the issue, Mehbooba’s future is uncertain as top icons of the PDP have left the party and formed their own entities. The weak leadership of Mehbooba could be gauged by the fact that her eight senior party colleagues had to be suspended from the party for allegedly supporting the Centre.
The former Deputy Chief Minister and one of the founders of PDP, Muzzafar Hussain Beigh had openly castigated Mehbooba and had opened a front against her. Before taking up the cause of Kashmir, Mehbooba now has to first keep her house in order.
Her campaign for the cause of Kashmir will also not go down well with the people. For, her own party leaders have blamed her for “provoking” the Centre to abolish the special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
