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Mehbooba Mufti accuses NC of undermining PAGD: ‘Reduced into a mere joke’
Addressing a press conference at the PDP office in Srinagar, Mufti termed the NC's decision as "disappointing" & a "setback to the hopes of the people of J&K".
Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday accused the National Conference of undermining the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) by unilaterally choosing to contest all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti said the NC had reduced PAGD into a ‘joke.’
Addressing a press conference at the PDP office in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti termed the NC's decision as "disappointing" and a "setback to the hopes of the people of J&K". "Omar (Abdullah) has himself said that the PDP is out of the alliance. You can see who has broken the alliance. We did not. This was a unique alliance, it is disappointing to see it shattered. They have reduced PAGD to a joke," Mufti said.
“There used to be a discussion on smaller issues within the PAGD, but the NC took such a decision without consulting us,” PDP chief and former CM of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti said.
"We will discuss with the Congress and not take a unilateral decision. We will also deliberate it within the party and soon take a decision on it (contesting the Lok Sabha polls)," she added.
Earlier in the day, the NC declared its intention to contest all three seats in the Kashmir valley and urged the Congress to contest the two seats in the Jammu region. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also said he would have never joined the Congress-led opposition alliance if he knew he would have to share LS seats with the PDP. "I have already told you that the party that stands on number 3 has no right to ask for a seat. How many people are there with PDP today who brought them to the third place? If I had been told before joining INDIA alliance that we would have to weaken ourselves for another member of the alliance, then I would have never joined the INDIA alliance.." Omar Abdullah said.
The National Conference has previously indicated potential challenges for its alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah, the party's chief stated that the party would contest the elections independently. However, NC leader and son of party chief Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah later clarified that the party remained part of the INDIA bloc and emphasized that there were no divisions within the alliance.
J&K comprises five Lok Sabha seats - Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag, Udhampur and Jammu. In the previous elections, the NC secured victory in all three valley seats, while the BJP emerged victorious in both Jammu seats and the single Ladakh seat.
(With inputs from PTI)
