Mehbooba’s poll ‘condition’ upsets party rank and file

Move amounts to her ‘political retirement’….!

Jammu: PDP chief Mehbooba’s Mufti statement two days back in asserting her ‘condition’ for contesting polls has not augured well within her own party where leaders barring a few are looking at her gesture as party ‘surrendering’ to a weak and awful ground situation. Many in political corridors are taking her statement as announcing her ‘political retirement’ for compulsive circumstances, no matter she projects herself active and energetic.
While Mehbooba has been often seen asserting for restoration of statehood for J&K and revocation of Article 370, it is first time she related demand on latter with elections, a condition that until this happens she won’t contest any polls. She is neither politically naïve nor inexperienced to understand what she has asked for, said a senior leader of the party while describing the mood in rank and file.
Her statement may be part of well thought of strategy by a few in her coterie of confidantes, but for leaders in entire hierarchy are disappointed at this announcement, he said. Although everyone in the party is well aware that PDP’s political ground has shaken badly and its space has been usurped by new parties, but putting a condition like that amounts to chief running away from the battle ground, he said explaining a demoralized state of affairs after this development.
Those having high stakes of political survival and having aspirations for strong leadership are perturbed as they know linking elections with restoration of Article 370 is Mehbooba almost having made up her mind not to contest polls since in the given order of things in J&K and at Centre this a far fetched possibility.
For Mehbooba Mufti this may be political posturing and more importantly an apprehension of facing embarrassment at the hustings, but contenders for polls who are banking upon her ‘appropriate’ choice of political decisions ahead of polls are certainly not happy with this gesture, party sources confirmed.
Now the most awful ramification of this one, if she persists, is that some of the popular faces may call it quits with PDP ahead of polls and join some other parties where they see stronger leadership giving them direction, sources said hinting at some have started making ‘channels’ of switching over in Kashmir. If only a couple of leaders leave PDP, it will be a setback for the party and others who have long time association and conviction with party since the time of late Mufti Mohammad Syed.
As for her standing in the political scenario of UT, she still holds a towering position, albeit with waning and shrinking ground and this gets aggravated with her confrontationist attitude and wrong decisions vis-à-vis elections in the past as well. Political pundits suggest this will be deciphered as her political retirement.

Updated On 3/26/2023 12:57:42 AM