Srinagar: Former MLC and senior political leader from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar, Syed Asgar Ali, rejoined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday.
Ali, who is also a former IAS officer, joined the PDP in the presence of its president Mehbooba Mufti, a party spokesperson said.
Ali was associated with the PDP before joining the National Conference in 2019.
The PDP spokesperson said Ali’s joining is a strong political statement and a major boost to the PDP’s organisation in the Chenab Valley, further strengthening the party’s footprint and its resolve to represent the aspirations of the people with courage, dignity and conviction.
Along with Ali, provincial secretary, Jammu, of Apni Party, Diljit Singh, and general secretary of the Women’s Wing of Apni Party, Sheetal Sharma, also joined the PDP.
Mehbooba warmly welcomed Ali and the other entrants, and also recalled her long association with the former MLC. She expressed confidence that their joining would further strengthen the party’s organisation and grassroots presence across Jammu and Kashmir, according to the spokesperson.
The PDP chief said that her party was the only credible political alternative for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, describing its emergence as one of the biggest achievements of the political vision of the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
She said the PDP was founded on the principles of peace, reconciliation, dignity and democratic empowerment and would continue to work for the political and socio-economic aspirations of the people.
She expressed hope that the experience and public outreach of the new entrants would further contribute to strengthening the party at the grassroots level and expanding its organisational base across the region.
