Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday urged for early elections in the embattled state to end the prolonged central rule imposed in the state six months ago. He said the elected government would be able to deliver governance in a better way.
Abdullah was speaking to reporters after welcoming two former senior leaders of rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP)—Basharat Bukhari and Peer Muhammad Hussain—into his party National Conference (NC). The two leaders who have been elected to assembly in the past have been ministers at different occasions and once considered part of the innermost circle of late Mufti Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti. Their jumping ship is considered as a major jolt to the former ruling party that has seen a series of resignations from influential leaders since November 19 when Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the state assembly.
Bukhari, quit announcer’s job with Radio Kashmir in 2003 to join the PDP and was subsequently nominated to legislative council in the same year. He successfully contested two assembly elections in 2008 and 2014 from Sangrama constituency of Baramulla and became a minister in 2015 in Mufti Sayeed cabinet. Bukhari is elder brother of journalist Shujaat Bukhari who was killed by suspected militants outside his office in Srinagar in June this year along-with his two bodyguards.
Hussain was a retired government officer who joined PDP in 2002 to successfully contest 2002 assembly election and became a junior minister in Mufti Sayeed led PDP-Congress regime. Last year he quit the post of Vice Chairman of Muslim Waqf Board, a political appointment, after developing differences with Mehbooba Mufti.
Abdullah welcomed the duo saying their inclusion “will help salvage people from the current tumultuous times.”
“We have to show steadfastness and maintain unity among us. We have to give a befitting reply to those forces which are inimical to the special status of the state,” he said.
Abdullah demanded announcement of elections in the state to pave way for the establishment of elected government. “The Governor’s rule is an autocratic rule. There is no substitute to a popularly elected government,” he said adding that his party has been impressing on the incumbent administration to hold elections as soon as possible.
Farooq said that the regional coalitions can give a tough competition to the BJP during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Lone, who had staked claim for the formation of government on November 19 took a jibe on the change of loyalty of two former ministers and their welcome in the rival party. “The two dynasts’ made fun of me on twitter. Made a lovely skeleton of me. Now that one is poaching the other. Wonder—amongst the dynasts’ who is sketching whose skeleton,” Lone tweeted shortly after the two leaders announced their decision to join the NC.
The NC and PDP had formed a day-long coalition along-with the Congress and staked claim for the formation of government last month. Mehbooba Mufti in her letter to Governor had claimed support of 56 legislators to form the government. However, Governor Malik instead of inviting her or Sajad Lone to form the government, controversially dissolved the assembly.
The dissolution of assembly triggered permutations and combinations in the political parties, especially in the PDP, which has lost public sympathy due to its alliance with the BJP.
Two former Minister Imran Ansari and Hasseb Drabu and legislators Abbas Wani and Yasir Reshi have already quit the party.