Ahead of Assembly polls, PDP faces revolt

SRINAGAR — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing a revolt as several senior leaders have resigned just ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir is preparing for its long-awaited Assembly election. The election, the first since Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory in 2019 and in a decade, will be held in three phases: September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting on October 4.

Sources quoted by the news agency KINS said that several PDP leaders are upset with the functioning of the PDP. The resignations followed the release of the PDP’s list of constituency in-charges, which sparked discontent among several members.

On Tuesday, PDP spokesperson Suhail Bukhari, who had been a close aide to party president Mehbooba Mufti, resigned after being denied a mandate to contest from the Wagoora-Kreeri constituency. Bukhari was reportedly disappointed by the party’s decision to favour former minister Basharat Bukhari instead, who recently rejoined the PDP.

Similarly, Dr Harbaksh Singh, a senior PDP leader and District Development Council (DDC) member from Tral, resigned and announced his intention to join the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).

Besides other disillusioned PDP members, including former MLA Ajaz Mir and over 10 DDC members have also left the party. These leaders plan to contest the upcoming elections under the AIP banner and aim to strengthen the party’s presence in southern Kashmir.

The revolt within the PDP intensified after the party replaced several long-standing members with new candidates, including Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, who took over the Bijbehara constituency from senior leader Abdur Rehman Veeri. This shake-up has led to further discontent within the party, with Veeri reportedly considering running as an independent.

This is the second major revolt within the PDP, following similar resignations in 2020 after the abrogation of Article 370, which saw over 20 leaders leave to form the Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari.