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3 former legislators likely to join Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference today
The People’s Conference, after leaving the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), has been trying to expand its base across Jammu and Kashmir
Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference is likely to get a boost as three former legislators, including former minister Bashaarat Bukhari, are likely to join the party on Monday.
The latest in the line of leaders to join the People’s Conference are Bukhari, and former legislators Khurshid Alam and Peerzada Mansoor.
Bukhari had resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) soon after the PDP -Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government fell in 2018 and joined the National Conference hoping to contest elections on the party’s ticket from Sangrama. However, he resigned from National Conference last month. Former legislator Khursheed Alam and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s former political advisor Peerzada Mansoor also resigned from the party earlier this month.
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People’s Conference spokesperson Adnan Ashraf confirmed that a few leaders will join the party on Monday. “Party chairman Sajjad Lone will address the party along with the leaders who will join the People’s Conference. In the next few days, more people will become part of the People’s Conference.”
Earlier, former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Muzaffar Baig had joined the People’s Conference.
The People’s Conference, after leaving the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), has been trying to expand its base across Jammu and Kashmir.
According to political experts, the entry of Baig and other leaders has given the party a boost. Baig, the former patron of PDP and a former MP from Baramulla, left the party after they denied his wife a ticket in the District Development Council (DDC) elections. Baig is the senior-most leader to join the People’s Conference in the recent past.
The People’s Conference contested DDC elections as part of the PAGD and won eight out of 12 seats in Kashmir. However, after its exit from PAGD, the party got ahold of two important District Development Councils—Baramulla and Kupwara.
Party general secretary and prominent Shia leader Imraz Reza Ansari hinted several leaders will join the party soon and even resigned from the post of general secretary to make way for other senior leaders; however, Lone didn’t accept his resignation and praised him for his magnanimous attitude.
According to political analysts, the emergence of the People’s Conference could dent the chances of Apni Party, which is trying to lure former legislators and leaders. Altaf Bukhari formed the party last year. Both Apni Party and People’s Conference have attracted a majority of leaders from the PDP. Mufti, last week, blamed the Centre for trying to break her party.
“GOI is trying to dismantle PDP by luring & threatening its members. Investigative agencies like ED are being used to intimidate me. To make matters worse, Im being denied of my fundamental right to a passport. If this isn’t political vendetta then what is?,” tweeted Mufti soon after she was questioned by Enforcement Directorate in Srinagar.
