Cracks in PDP, former J-K minister accuses Mehbooba Mufti of nepotism

Days after the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, a former minister and lawmaker of the party has openly revolted against Mehbooba Mufti, alleging her of “nepotism”.

Imran Raza Ansari, who was the Information Technology minister during the BJP-PDP government, alleged that Mufti destroyed the PDP and the state to give benefits to her relatives.

“From the time she has joined PDP, she keeps thinking about benefits of her relatives. Nepotism has destroyed this party & the entire Kashmir,” ANI quoted Ansari as saying.

Ansari said that he was ready for the elections and “change parties” to work for the local people. He said that he had already conveyed this to the PDP chief.

“I have been telling Mehbooba Mufti for a while that I feel suffocated in this party (PDP).  We are ready for elections. We want to work for public even if we have to change 50 parties for this purpose,” Ansari said.

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Ansari, who is seen as close to the BJP, on Monday said that Mufti failed the PDP and dashed the dreams of her father and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

“Mehbooba Mufti not only failed the PDP as a party but also dashed the dreams of her father late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that he had envisaged,” PTI had quoted Ansari as saying.

According to sources, two other lawmakers of the PDP also backed Ansari and they were contemplating a new party and form government with the BJP.

The revolt in the PDP came days after former deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta’s remark that his party was “working on something” to form the government in the state.

After Gupta’s remarks, National Conference leader and former CM Omar Abdullah claimed that the “something” Gupta was talking about would be to “break other parties and arrange numbers to form the government.

In the 89-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the BJP has 25 MLAs and the PDP 28. Both parties are well short the majority mark of 45.