PDP Leaders Find Solace In Jaun Elia’s Poetry After Being Denied Tickets

After the People's Democratic Party denied tickets to many leaders who stayed with the party despite a mass exodus following the abrogation of Article 370, these leaders have announced their departure. They have turned to poetry to voice their frustration and lament the lack of recognition for their loyalty to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, with whom they were also detained.

The lines “Wafa iḳhlas qurbani mohabbat, ab in lafzon ka pichha kyun karen ham” (Loyalty, sincerity, sacrifice, love, why anyone will go after with these words now?) from Jaun Elia’s famous poem were quoted by Aijaz Ahmad Mir. He posted them on X after being denied a ticket. The lines are from Elia’s well-known poem “Naya ik rishta paida kyun karen ham, Bichhadna hai to jhagda kyun karen ham.”

Mir, the former PDP MLA from the Wachi constituency in Shopian, South Kashmir, was detained on August 5, 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370, and was held in the Santoor Hotel, which was repurposed as a sub-jail. After the party denied him a ticket, he updated his bio on X (formerly Twitter) to read “Former MLA, politician, social activist,” but has retained a picture of himself with PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari, known for quoting lines from Jaun Elia's poetry, announced his resignation from the party after being denied a ticket. He stated that the party has failed to recognize the loyalty and sacrifices of those who stayed when most leaders abandoned the PDP.

“Those who left the party are being welcomed, while those who remained loyal are being overlooked,” he said. Bukhari criticized the party's approach, saying that loyal members are not even being consulted in the distribution of tickets. He said he was feeling “uncomfortable within the party” and resigned from it, both as chief spokesperson and as a basic member.

Dr. Harbaksh Singh, a prominent PDP figure who won a district development council seat from the Tral area of South Kashmir in 2020 on a PDP ticket, has updated his bio on X to reflect his new roles: “Member DDC Tral, Chairman Standing Committee for Health & Education Pulwama, President Amrit Charitable Trust. Tweets are personal.”

In announcing his resignation from the PDP, Singh said that while the mandate was not important, the party should have taken senior leaders into confidence before announcing mandates. “I have been with the PDP for 14 years, and I and other senior leaders were not consulted before making such announcements,” he added.

Singh said he remained a key voice for the people after the abrogation of Article 370, and when the 2020 DDC polls were held, he won and secured 98 percent of the Muslim vote for his pro-people stance.

Singh stated he has joined Engineer Rashid’s Awami Itihad Party (AIP). He said the AIP will make a significant impact and bring about positive change not only in North Kashmir but also in South Kashmir.

The PDP is facing turmoil after the party released its initial candidate list for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, will contest the Bijbehara seat, which is Mehbooba Mufti's hometown. The party's candidates include Abdul Rehman Veeri for Anantnag East, Sartaj Ahmad Madani (Mehbooba’s uncle) for Devsar, Dr. Mehboob Beg for Anantnag, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura for Charisharief, Gh Mohi-ud-din Wani for Wachi, Waheed-ur Rehman Parra for Pulwama, and Rafiq Ahmad Naik for Tral. The announcement of these names has created a furor within the party, with many saying they are not being rewarded for their loyalty. After the abrogation of Article 370, around 80 percent of the party leaders left the PDP. Many of them are now rejoining and are expected to receive tickets.