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Muzaffar Baig joins J&K Peoples’ Conference
Had resigned last year from the PDP after his wife Safeena was denied ticket by the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration to contest DDC polls
Former J&K deputy chief minister and former MP Muzaffar Baig on Wednesday joined the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Conference.
Baig, one of the senior-most leaders in Kashmir, had resigned from the PDP last year after his wife Safeena Baig was denied party ticket by the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration to contest district development council (DDC) polls from Sangrama.
Later, Safeena, who was also the president of PDP’s women wing, contested DDC elections as an independent candidate from Sangrama and won. She then became Baramulla DDC chairperson with the support of the Peoples’ Conference and the Apni Party.
The Peoples’ Conference spokesperson, Adnan Ashraf, said party chairperson Sajad Lone accompanied by senior leaders visited the residence of Baig and confabulated with him on a range of issues afflicting the people of J&K in these “difficult times”.
“Lone also invited Baig to be a part of the party. He (Baig) keenly participated in the discussion and expressed his pleasure in joining the party from where he started his political career,” he added.
Baig had started his political career in mid 80s and contested elections on a Peoples’ Conference ticket. He was considered close to the party founder, Abdul Gani Lone. However, in 1999, he along with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed laid the foundation of Peoples Democratic Party and became minister in the PDP-Congress coalition government.
He also served as the deputy chief minister of J&K. He fought on a PDP ticket and won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.
However, the PDP later sidelined him. Baig’s entry into Peoples’ Conference will make the party strong in north Kashmir. Earlier, party’s general secretary Imraz Reza Ansari had hinted that some senior leaders will be joining the Peoples’ Conference, so he resigned from the post of general secretary.
“As our Party @JKPC_is growing and lots of leaders have started joining this caravan of change I am requesting my party President @sajadlone to accept my resignation from post of General Secretary effective today,” Ansari had tweeted earlier this week.
Sources within the party said that Baig will be given some important post in the party.
With Baig joining the Peoples’ Conference, now party controls Baramulla and Kupwara DDC chairperson and vice-chairperson posts.
