“Unity is need of the hour”: PDP leader Iltija Mufti lauds Congress-NC alliance

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 25 (ANI): As elections approach in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP leader Iltija Mufti on Sunday responded to the Congress-NC alliance in the state, emphasising that given the current situation, unity is essential.

Reacting to the BJP’s comments on the PDP and National Conference manifestos, as well as the Congress-National Conference alliance, Iltija Mufti stated, “The BJP can say anything. They keep lying about issues like the situation in Kashmir and the economy. Considering the current circumstances, the (Congress-National Conference) alliance is positive. Unity is the need of the hour… Since 2019, everyone here has been suffering, so the parties should set aside their differences and come together.”

Earlier, on August 24, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti remarked that for her, the upcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir is not about statehood or seat sharing but a “bigger goal.”

During a press conference to launch the PDP manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls, Mufti said, “For me, this election (upcoming Assembly elections in J&K) is not about statehood or seat sharing… We have a bigger goal… We are fighting for dignity, for resolution.”

She further noted that alliances and seat sharing “are distant considerations” and indicated that if the National Conference and Congress are willing to adopt her agenda, she would support them, as “solving the problem of Kashmir is more important than anything else.”

Mufti also criticised the Congress-National Conference alliance, stating that it was formed not on an agenda but on seat sharing.

“When we allied earlier, we had an agenda; when we allied with the BJP, we had an agenda which they agreed to. But the alliance between the National Conference and Congress is not based on an agenda; it is based on seat sharing. We will not enter into any alliance that is merely about seat sharing. The alliance should be based on an agenda, and our agenda is to solve the problem of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.

In their election manifesto, the PDP promised efforts to restore Articles 370 and 35A, initiate diplomatic dialogues between India and Pakistan, and ensure the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley.

Notably, in the 2014 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference won 15, and the Congress won 12.

The PDP and BJP formed a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. However, in 2018, the BJP withdrew its support from the alliance after Mehbooba Mufti took over following Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s demise.

Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, according to the Election Commission of India. The counting of votes will take place on October 4.

These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.