PDP To Contest LS Polls Solo In Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti Blames Omar Abdullah For INDIA-bloc Fissure In Valley

In a jolt for the Opposition INDIA-bloc, the PDP has decided to contest all the three Parliamentary constituencies of Kashmir solo. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is also the PDP president, on Wednesday said that INDIA bloc partner National Conference has left her party with no other option other than to contest the election on the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir.

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Earlier, NC had announced that it would field its candidates on all three seats in Kashmir. The NC left two seats in Jammu for the Congress as part of the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing agreement.

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"They (NC) have left no option for us other than to field candidates and contest the elections," Mehbooba Mufti was quoted as saying by PTI.

She said the party’s parliamentary board would take a final call on the candidates.

Mufti as per the report also said the need of the hour for the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir was to remain united after the Centre revoked the erstwhile state's special status in August 2019.

"Youth are in jails, we cannot raise our voices, even the family members of employees cannot say anything. There is an atmosphere of oppression here. So, in such an atmosphere, it is imperative for us to stand united," she was quoted as saying.

She however said the attitude of the NC leadership was disappointing and hurtful.

"When the INDI alliance's meeting took place in Mumbai, I said there that since (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 was quoted as saying.

“But the NC took the decision to contest all three seats in Kashmir unilaterally,” she added.

Mufti said if the NC had approached her and consulted the PDP before announcing the decision, her party could have decided not to field candidates in the larger interests of Kashmir.

"If they had to take the same decision, if they thought that they had a better voice than the PDP to raise the issues of the people of Kashmir, then they should have told me two months ago that they wanted to contest themselves and told me not to field candidates, then perhaps for the larger interests, we would not have contested," she was quoted as saying.

"But, the way (NC vice president) Omar (Abdullah) announced the decision without taking us into confidence, and by saying that PDP has no workers or support so they will not get a single seat, it hurt my workers and broke their hearts,” she added.

"The way Omar spoke was very disappointing, that was an insult not to me, but to my workers. So, how can I tell my workers to support NC? It is not easy. We will field candidates and leave it up to the people. The people are the better judge to see which voices they want in the Parliament,” she was quoted as saying.