Mehbooba Mufti splits Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir

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PDP inks seat pact with Congress without NC in Jammu and Kashmir

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, April 7: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday announced candidates for three Lok Sabha seats. The PDP announced support for the two seats in Jammu for the Congress. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti will contest from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat.

The PDP-Congress alliance in Jammu and Kashmir has sent out the National Conference (NC) out of the Opposition bloc, the Indian National Developmental and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The Farooq Abdullah-headed NC failed to ink the seat adjustment pact with the PDP.

Farooq Abdullah told reporters two days ago that he was hopeful of his party winning the Anantnag-Rajouri seats. He had dismissed the differences with the PDP on the seat adjustment talks.

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Speculations had also been running rife in a section of the media that the Abdullahs could get closer to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The NC was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the past. The BJP afterwards had formed an alliance government with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP national general secretary Tarun chugh said that the Opposition alliance has collapsed in Jammu and Kashmir. “The Opposition alliance has collapsed in Jammu and Kashmir. The NC and the PDP will be contesting the elections separately,” said Chugh.

The PDP parliamentary board chief Sartaj Madni announced the names of candidates in Srinagar on Sunday. Madni said that Mufti will contest from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. He also said that Waheeda Parra will contest from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

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Parra is the youth wing chief of the PDP. Mufti will be facing the former Union Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. The PDP will contest the Congress in Jammu and the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat.

Mir Fayaz of the PDP will contest from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. He is the Rajya Sabha MP of the PDP. All the three candidates of the PDP will be contesting the Lok Sabha seats from the Kashmir valley.

Farooq Abdullah, however, has been praising the Congress. He praised the Congress manifesto recently also. It is not yet clear if the NC will have an independent alliance with the Congress.

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Chugh has said that the BJP will contest all the five Lok Sabha seats. This will put Jammu and Kashmir into a multi-cornered contest. There could also be a likelihood of the split of the anti-BJP votes in Jammu region.