Srinagar- The PDP will extend complete support to the Congress-NC alliance and leave all seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to the coalition if it is ready to accept the party’s agenda, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday.
“Forget about alliance and seat-sharing, if the Congress and the National Conference (NC) are ready to accept our agenda — that resolution of the Kashmir issue is necessary and on opening of routes — we will tell them to contest on all the seats and we will follow you,” she said.
The poll manifesto was released by the party president and the former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti at PDP head office here, setting a precondition for accepting the pre-poll alliance between National Conference and the Congress.
The former Chief Minister asked the two parties to endorse PDPs agenda, which prioritizes the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
“It’s not about elections, statehood, and seat sharing only; I think the Kashmir issue is still very much alive. This is a human issue. Situation in J&K worsened following the abrogation of Article 370, and we want this matter to be settled ‘undoubtedly’ within the ambit of the Indian constitution,” said Mehbooba.
Taking pot shots at the National Conference and the Congress for reducing the Kashmir issue to mere seat sharing and statehood, she said, for PDP the resolution of Kashmir issue is far more important to bring J&K out of political uncertainty.
Mehbooba, the PDP president, said the dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which “was being trampled on”, was important for her party.
“Whether you give me three or four seats, it does not mean anything to me. When we entered into an alliance with either the Congress or the BJP, it was on our agenda. The NC and the Congress have not entered into an alliance on any agenda but for seat-sharing and we will not talk of such an alliance, which only talks about seat-sharing,” she said.
“Our alliance should be based on an agenda and our agenda is to find resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue… No doubt within the Constitution of this country but a resolution,” she added.
When asked if the PDP would forge an alliance with BJP after elections, she replied “No, our alliance was with the BJP government and not the party. We formed an alliance to protect Article 370 which they agreed upon. But what good is it to forge an alliance with them if Article 370 is no more?
Mehbooba accused the central government of turning an influential legislature of the former state into a civic body and a Chief Minister into the head of a municipality.
“PDP is not in fray for seat sharing and statehood but we have much bigger cause, that is Kashmir issue, we are fighting for the dignity of the people of J&K,” the PDP leader claimed.
Replying to another query whether elections have become unnecessary for the PDP, she replied, “No, elections are the only way to address the Kashmir issue in a long-term manner; it’s about J&K’s development. Come what may, we shall demonstrate our victory by contesting elections.”
The PDP in its manifesto promised to pursue the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and advocate for diplomatic initiatives between India and Pakistan.
It also aims to establish full connectivity across the Line of Control for trade and social exchange.
The manifesto also talks about striving for the revocation of the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as well as its commitment to revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were last held in November 2014, resulting in the PDP and the BJP forming a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
His death in 2016 led to his daughter Mehbooba taking up the mantle of leadership as chief minister of the coalition government.
The BJP pulled out of the government in June 2018 and the state was put under governor’s rule.
On August 5, 2019, the BJP-led Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and reorganised the erstwhile state into two Union territories — Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
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