BJP is rival; NC, Cong just spoilers: PDP

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is its main opponent in Jammu and Kashmir elections. The Congress and the National Conference will be reduced to just `spoilers,' it said.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is its main opponent in Jammu and Kashmir elections. The Congress and the National Conference will be reduced to just `spoilers,' it said.

While addressing a party convention at her residence in Srinagar, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that the former coalition partners who ruled the state in last six years are not the focus for the PDP. But our competition is with the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party, she said.

"The competition with the NC and the Congress is on just 5 or 6 seats, our competition with the BJP might be on 16 to 17 seats," Mufti added.

"It is the kind of atmosphere that the Congress and the NC created that has forced the people in Jammu to look at the BJP as an option. However, this is state elections and the Jammu people will vote for the PDP for a good and strong government,'' she added.

Mufti said her party is also focusing on some seats in Jammu to get an absolute majority in the coming elections.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the PDP had won in 41 assembly segments out of 87 in the six parliamentary constituencies.

Mehbooba hit an anti-NC salvo, blaming the state government for 2010 killings, Shopian rape and murder case, Afzal Guru's hanging, NC worker Haji Yousuf's death and 2014 floods.

"The government had been given an expert report in 2010 that the Valley would be hit with worst-ever floods in 2014-15, but they chose not to react,'' she said. "They never took action to do deep dredging of the river even when money was given, neither did they ask the Centre for funds in this matter," she added.

She said the state government could not even save the Srinagar city which is the heart of all businesses.