On Saturday, senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Jammu & Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh quit the Mehbooba Mufti-led party over the seat-sharing issue between the PDP and the National Conference (NC) in the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections.
Beigh told reporters that he was unhappy over the seat sharing arrangement between the PDP and the NC for the DDC elections. "Under this arrangement, the NC is fighting the maximum number of seats and this is not in the interest of the PDP," he said confirming that he was quitting the PDP and he had spoken about this to the PDP President Mehbooba Mufti.
Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday evening said the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) -- an alliance which includes National Conference (NC), Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI(M), Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference (PC), Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) and Awami National Conference (ANC) -- has a bigger cause to fight for than bicker over DDC elections. For the uninitiated, the PAGD has decided to fight the DDC elections unitedly.
Meanwhile, Mufti said that PAGD was formed "solely to safeguard the identity of people of J&K thats been under constant attack since Aug 2019". "To assume it was created for petty electoral gains or to further party interests is erroneous," she added.
In the first list of 27 candidates released by the PAGD for the 1st phase of the DDC elections, the NC will fight 21, the PDP 4 and the PC headed by Sajad Lone 2 seats.
The elections to the DDCs and vacant posts of sarpanch and panch will be held in eight phases from December 1 to December 24, according to a notification issued by the State Election Commission on November 6.
