1 week Ago
NEW DELHI: People's Democratic Party ( PDP ) supremo Mehbooba Mufti fiercely attacked the National Conference (NC) on Sunday, claiming that without her party's presence, the NC would have been operating in a "dictatorial manner" in Jammu and Kashmir . "The public of Jammu and Kashmir has understood that PDP had established good governance in the state. Universities, colleges, and AIIMS were established by the PDP government," Mufti said.
She further emphasised that her father's founding of the PDP prevented the NC from continuing its alleged dictatorial methods: "If Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had not founded PDP then the National Conference would still be functioning in a dictatorial manner. People are very angry and upset with the National Conference." This strong reaction comes as political parties intensify their campaigns for the upcoming Assembly elections in the UT, which will be held in three phases starting from September 18, with vote counting on October 8.
Both the NC and the PDP have included the restoration of Article 370 in their election manifestos. Meanwhile, the BJP has dismissed Article 370 as a thing of the past. This election marks the first polls in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.
The National Conference and Congress have formed a pre-poll alliance ahead of the upcoming elections. Union home minister Amit Shah , who released the BJP's manifesto in Jammu on Friday, launched a strong criticism of the grand old party and National Conference's manifesto the following day. Shah accused these parties of aiming to spread terrorism, undermine reservations for Gujjars, Bakarwals, Paharis, and Dalits, release criminals, and initiate LOC trade with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah , NC Vice-President, acknowledged the long-term nature of Article 370's restoration. "Article 370 and the special status of J&K are part of the National Conference's ideology. It's not something that we will surrender.
But it's not something that this assembly will be able to do. A couple of government changes will be needed at the center before we even begin to address this issue. It took the BJP decades to do this, and we are not foolish to think that we will be able to undo it in 5 years.
It's a long struggle. It's an issue that we believe is important to keep alive," Abdullah said. Jammu and Kashmir is set to elect representatives for its 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs).
According to the Election Commission of India, there are 88.06 lakh eligible voters in the region. In the previous Assembly elections, the PDP won 28 seats, the BJP secured 25 seats, the NC garnered 15 seats, and the Congress won 12 seats.
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