PDP returns to grassroots to revive lost ground, south Kashmir in focus

SRINAGAR: In order to revive the ground it has lost in the Valley after forming an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by its President Mehbooba Mufti are returning to grassroots ahead of Assembly and Parliamentary polls with south Kashmir as its main focus.

In the past one week or so, many PDP leaders have started to visit to their respective constituencies in a bid to assess party’s performance and take stock of its activities.

Sources said as a party of strategy to retain lost ground, PDP Chief had instructed its party members to start visiting their constituencies and prepare ground for the upcoming polls.

Sources said despite the militant threats, many party leaders have started to organise party meeting across the Valley especially in militant hotbed south Kashmir, which was once known as PDP bastion.

Mehbooba’s latest visit to south Kashmir’s Pulwama district was also a part of the same strategy.

In 2014 assembly elections, the PDP dominated south Kashmir, winning 13 of the 21 seats and garnering a vote share of over 40 percent.

Following the party instructions, PDP Vice President Abdul Rahman Veeri on December 27 held a meeting at Dak Bungalow Anantnag in which former ministers, legislators, senior leaders and party workers were present.

Last week senior PDP leader and former Parliamentarian Dr Mehboob Beg also called upon his party-men in south Kashmir to strengthen the party.

On December 28, PDP Chief Spokesperson and former MLA Pahalgam Rafi Ahmad Mir held a meeting with his workers in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam constituency.

Similar meeting was also held in Srinagar chaired by PDP’s Srinagar’s District President Mohammad Khurshid Alam. The meeting deliberated over the present political scenario of the state’s summer capital and resolved to further strengthen the party at the grassroots.

Sources said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to Pulwama, which is otherwise known as militancy hotbed, was also part of the party’s plan to make its presence felt at grassroots.

On her visit to Patipora village of Pulwama, Mehbooba meet Rubina who was allegedly harassed by police for being a militant’s sister.

On Thursday also, she visited family of slain militant Idrees Ahmad Mir’s house in volatile Safnagri village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Idrees, a former army man who was posted in Bihar, joined Hizb after he came home on leave in April 2018. He was killed in a gun-battle with the army on November 7, 2018, that took place in his native village.

After the fall of the BJP-PDP government, Mehbooba Mufti is finding hard to keep its party intact and retain its lost ground in the Valley.

So far five legislators have quit the party that include Basharat Bukhari, Imran Ansari, Abid Ansari, Mohammad Abbas Wani and Haseeb Drabu.

Talking to the News Now, PDP Chief Spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir said that party leaders returning to their respective constituencies is a part of the preparation for the upcoming elections.

“The elections are coming so it obvious that as a political party, all leaders need to prepare their cadres who can campaign for the party,” Mir said. “PDP is a grassroots party and we are all returning to our roots.”
The PDP is also planning to showcase its strength on the upcoming death anniversary of PDP founder Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on January 7.

On December 22, taking to micro-blogging site, Mehbooba said she would rebuild her party that she had built brick by brick with his father.

“I stand firm in my commitment and resolve towards rebuilding a party I built brick by brick with my late father and its patron (sic),” Mehbooba tweeted.
Updated On 1/4/2019 11:09:58 AM