The rebellious legislators of the PDP were conspicuous by their absence at the annual event of the party indicating that they were uncompromising on their intentions to part ways or see a leadership overhaul.
The rebellion was heralded by former Minister Imran Reza Ansari who represents Pattan constituency of north Kashmir a day after Mehbooba was dismissed from the chair on June 19. Ansari’s uncle Aabid, legislator representing Zadibal segment also joined him. Both of them belong to a powerful family of Shia clerics. The Ansaris have been lauding BJP in their public discourses and the grapevine is that they have been in consultation with the BJP to engineer a split in PDP to pave way Government formation in the embattled State.
Ansaris did not show up at the party’s event in Srinagar nor did several other legislators whose names are making rounds for their support to the rebellion. However, to Mehbooba’s reassurance Baramulla Member Parliament Muzaffar Hussain Beg attended the gathering and was among a few leaders who addressed it. Beg’s nephew Javed Hussain Beghas also joined the rebels who did not attend the function. Senior Beg’s wife Safeena who heads the Party’s women’s wing was also at the gathering.
Mehbooba recently affected reshuffle in party’s hierarchy showing exitto her maternal uncle Sartaj Madni who was the vice-president of the party. Allegations of corruption and nepotism have been leveled against Madni and several other party leaders who ruled the roost during Mehbooba’s regime.