Jammu and Kashmir: Big blow to Mehbooba Mufti before elections, PDP’s chief spokesperson leaves the party

Before the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti’s party PDP has suffered a major setback. The reason is that PDP’s chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari left the party on Tuesday. Bukhari was apparently upset at not being given the mandate to contest the elections. He was expected to contest from Waghura-Kreeri, but the return of former minister Basharat Bukhari to PDP last month reduced his chances of getting a ticket.

Journalist-turned-politician Bukhari was a close aide of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and also served as her media advisor when she was the chief minister. Speaking to reporters, Bukhari said he joined the party after the collapse of the PDP-BJP government in 2019.

It was a difficult phase and in the last five years I have worked really hard to strengthen the core idea of ​​the PDP, which is the identity and rights of the people of Kashmir. When attempts were made to break the PDP, the party workers did not break and stood with the party during all ups and downs. Young and educated people also joined the party and contributed to it,” he said, according to PTI.

However, Bukhari alleged that people were being sidelined despite their excellent contributions. He said, “New leaders are being welcomed. Many party leaders, who always stood with the party, were not included. Therefore, it is becoming difficult for me to work under such circumstances. Therefore, I have resigned from the post of chief spokesperson and basic membership of the party.”

Meanwhile, another PDP leader and DDC member from Tral, Harbakhsh Singh, also quit the party. Singh was upset over the inclusion of Rafiq Ahmad Naik, son of former National Conference minister and Tral MP Ali Mohammad Naik, in the PDP. Naik is set to get the party ticket from Tral. Harbakhsh Singh said he has quit the party and announced joining the Awami Ittehad Party led by MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who is currently in Tihar jail.

He said that he did not leave PDP because he did not get the ticket. But being a senior leader, I was not taken into confidence. He said that despite giving 14 years to PDP, he was not informed about the decision taken by the party for Tral seat.