Mehbooba Mufti says ‘may go solo’ after Omar Abdullah leaves no seat for party

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said that her party might go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Her remark came after National Conference did not leave any seat in the valley for the PDP. “Omar Abdullah himself said that they’re not in the alliance (with us). We wanted The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to continue but everyone knows who ended this PAGD. We will talk to Congress as we are in the INDIA alliance and see how to go forward… PAGD was a democratic and unique alliance but the way it has been dispersed is very disappointing,” Mehbooba Mufti said.

“Jammu and Kashmir is a laboratory for whatever is happening in the country that is facing a big challenge and hence we should have made a collective effort. We (PDP) made a lot of efforts, but he (Omar Abdullah) declared that they’ll contest all three seats, without any consultation from us…,” she added.

Both the PDP and the National Conference are part of the INDIA bloc. Last month, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said the party would contest the polls on its own and hinted at rejoining NDA in the future. Hours later, his son and party’s vice-president Farooq Abdullah clarified that the the National Conference remained committed to the INDIA bloc.

When asked about the NC not leaving any seat in the valley for the PDP for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and its impact on the INDIA bloc, Omar Abdullah said, “The PDP came at the third number in the last Parliament elections and how is it justified that the number one or number two party will leave the claim on the seat and give it to the third number?”

In response to Omar Abdullah’s remark, Mufti said, “Had Farooq Abdullah called a meeting and discussed it with us, my party would have been ready to sacrifice all seats.”

She said the party would decide the future course of action after a discussion with the Congress.