Former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday announced that she will not contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. She said that even if she becomes the Chief Minister, she will not be able to fulfill her party’s agenda in the Union Territory. Actually, Mufti was asked whether her intention to contest the elections has changed? Because her arch rival National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah has changed his stance of not participating in the elections until Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory.
Mehbooba Mufti said, “I have been the chief minister of a government with the BJP which withdrew FIRs against 12,000 people (in 2016). Can we do that now? I wrote a letter to (Prime Minister) Modi as the chief minister of the government inviting separatists for talks. Can you do that today? I got the ceasefire (implemented) at the ground level. Can you do that today? If you cannot withdraw FIRs as the chief minister, what is the point of such a post?”
Mehbooba on Omar Abdullah’s U-turn
The former chief minister said, “Omar himself said that he will have to go to the (Lieutenant) Governor’s door for the transfer of a peon. I am not worried about the transfer of a peon, but can we implement our agenda?” Omar Abdullah had vowed not to participate in the assembly elections as long as Jammu and Kashmir remains a union territory, but his name was also included in the list of 32 candidates announced by the party on Tuesday. Let us tell you that Omar will contest from Ganderbal, from where he won in 2008.
Congress and National Conference always come together for power
On the alliance between the National Conference and Congress for the Jammu and Kashmir elections, the PDP president said the two parties always come together for power. She said, “When we allied with the Congress in 2002, we had an agenda. We got Syed Ali Geelani released from jail. Can you think of doing that today? When we allied with the BJP government in 2014, we had an agenda of the alliance, in which we had said in writing that Article 370 will not be touched, AFSPA will be repealed, talks will be held with Pakistan and Hurriyat, power projects will be brought back, etc. We had an agenda. However, when the Congress and the National Conference form an alliance, it is for power.”
On the possibility of Baramulla Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid and senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah being released from jail before the elections, he said it would be a good thing. He urged the government to also consider releasing less prominent people who are entitled to bail but have been denied it.