Srinagar: Struggling to overcome the current imbroglio, and to equally “counter moves of the opposition National Conference and Congress”, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has reportedly started roping in support from the “third front”.
A section of politicians from the “third front” in the mainstream, called on Mehbooba at her office here, before she flew to the national capital to meet the Prime Minister, Nardendra Modi.
Sources said the PDP was “unnerved by the National Conference activities in the national capital and thus she(Mehbooba) decided to rope in some support from the third front.”
The sources said three “third-front” leaders extended “full-support” to the Peoples Democratic Party- Bharatiya Janta Party alliance for “restoration of law and order” in the Valley on boil for the past 50 consecutive days.
While two of them personally visited her office for the “secret meeting”, the third one who belongs to a leftwing party spoke to her on phone, at least twice.
Sources said one of the two, who interacted with the Chief Minister, is an MLA from a central Kashmir constituency. The other one has remained a minister at key portfolio in the previous governments apart from wielding influence in Tangmarg, Gulmarg and Magam areas of north Kashmir.
The duo held detailed discussion with the Chief Minister on measures needed to “break the cycle of violence”, that erupted on July 8, when militant commander Burhan MuzaffarWani and his two associates were killed.
The mainstream duo, representing two separate parties, told the Chief Minister that they have taken the problem faced by her government as their “personal problem”.
Insiders said on August 25, soon after Mehbooba ended Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh’s press conference midway when she lost her cool while talking to journalists, she called up some “third party” leaders requesting for a meeting.
In fact, it was learnt that three of them were supposed to attend the meeting but “unfortunately” the third one, who represents a south Kashmir constituency in the Assembly, couldn’t make it due to ill health.
“He however spoke to Baji (Mehbooba) on phone that he’ll personally meet her the moment he gets well. And that she need not worry,” sources privy to the meeting said.
Sources said the “third front” leaders told Mehbooba that they would utilize their good offices to convince various stakeholders including the separatists for speedy restoration of normalcy in the Valley, where at least 69 people have been killed and around 10,000 wounded in the government action against protesters.
Earlier this week, a team of opposition leaders led by former Chief Minister and National Conference working President Omar Abdullah called on the President and the Prime Minister in New Delhi drawing their attention towards situation in Kashmir.
Subsequently union Home Minister visited Kashmir for the second time within a month while the opposition leaders met him to aware him about the situation. This all, as per the insiders, unnerved PDP prompting the ruling party to seek third front support.
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