BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit claims PDP has lost credibility in state, accuses Mehbooba Mufti of promoting dynastic politics

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP Friday claimed that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), its erstwhile coalition partner, has lost credibility in the state while its south Kashmir bastion was proving to a ‘big minefield’. It also accused former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti of promoting dynastic politics during her tenure besides finding excuses to delay panchayat and local bodies elections. “South Kashmir considered to be the one-time bastion of the Muftis (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba) and PDP is proving to be a big minefield for the party,” BJP state spokesperson Anil Gupta said in a statement. [caption id=“attachment_4450849” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. PTI[/caption] “Its leaders are finding it difficult to even visit their constituencies,” he added. “The party because of its doings in the past three years has lost credibility… The reality is that the party is using Article 35A to emotionally exploit the people of Kashmir and creating a communal wedge under the false notion that it can regain its lost credibility,” Gupta said further. He said there were ’numerous blots’ on the political fibre of the PDP which the youth in particular, were ‘unwilling to forgive’. As a result, the party has lost the support of the people across the valley. “Their once vote banks have turned into their worst enemies, a reality which has dawned on its leadership but it is unwilling to accept publicly with grace,” he said. “The people find no difference between the mainstream politicians of different parties and view them as self-seekers,” he added. Referring to the boycott of upcoming elections by PDP and its arch rival National Conference (NC), he said it is the “fear of losing” and not Article 35 A that has prompted the two parties to boycott the polls. “Time will never be ripe for PDP to hold urban local bodies and panchayat polls because despite being included in the Agenda of Alliance, which Mehbooba referred to as sacrosanct, she always found one excuse or the other to not hold the elections even after repeated assurances to the then Governor (NN Vohra) and the Home Minister Rajnath Singh,” he said. He said the former chief minister was more interested in promoting dynastic rule by promoting her brother Tassaduq Hussain and handing over the reins of the party to her uncle. “The reality is that people have rejected the party blaming it for their outright betrayal. Rather than accepting the ground reality gracefully, PDP leadership in a desperate bid to keep its flock together is trying to take shelter of Article 35A” he said.