According to senior leader privy to the development, former MP Fayaz Mir, ex-J&K law minister Basharat Bukhari and former legislator Nazim ud din Bhat are in touch with PDP leadership
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, three former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders are likely to join the party again in north Kashmir.
According to senior leader privy to the development, former MP Fayaz Mir, ex-J&K law minister Basharat Bukhari and former legislator Nazim ud din Bhat are in touch with PDP leadership. The three had left the party between 2018 and 2019.
The re-entry of these leaders could strengthen the party in north Kashmir, especially in Kupwara, Bandipora and Bandipura districts. Bukhari had joined the National Conference (NC) and then moved to Peoples Conference (PC). Later, he resigned from the PC. Bukhari, who got elected twice from Sangrama constituency, was earlier close to the Mufti family.
“He (Bukhari) could be joining the PDP in a week’s time,” said a senior PDP leader. Fayaz Mir from Kupwara and Nazim ud din Bhat from Bandipora are in touch with senior PDP leadership as well. Mir has a strong base in Kupwara and met PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti recently. “The coming week is crucial as some senior former leaders could rejoin the party. Almost all issues have been finalised. It just needs confirmation from the party’s core group that is meeting very soon,” a senior PDP leader said.
PDP is also in touch with other former leaders for rejoining to strengthen the party’s base across Kashmir before the Lok Sabha polls.
Party functionaries, requesting anonymity, said that if Anantnag Lok Sabha seat won’t be allocated to the party, then as plan B, the party will contest Lok Sabha polls from all three seats in Kashmir.
“So before the polls, the party is strengthening its base so that candidates will put strong fight. The party leadership will, however, wait for India bloc,” said another PDP leader privy to the details.
Soon after abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, dozens of former legislators and ministers left the PDP and joined other regional parties. Most of the desertion took place in north and central Kashmir, which left party in tatters. However, in past year, former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti managed to regroup the party. On Wednesday, Mehbooba Mufti directly blamed BJP for trying to break the PDP.
