|| NEYAZ ELAHI
BUREAU CHIEF CENTRAL KASHMIR:
The erosion of popular support base of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Mehbooba Mufti’s quest to find ways to reclaim the ground in Jammu and Kashmir particularly in Valley is the only thing that party is worried about at the moment. If party sources are to be believed Mehbooba is not so keen in renewing its alliance with RSS backed Bhartiya Janata Party. PDP that secured votes from people to keep what they call communal forces at bay forged the alliance with the same ‘communal forces’. This party will always be remembered for throwing the gates of Kashmir open for RSS and BJP, a fact not accepted by the adversaries but by the ardent supporters of the party. The erosion of popular support base of this party can be gauged from this fact that even grass root workers of PDP did not attend Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s funeral procession.
Mehbooba is really in a fix. It is testing times for her. The damage has already been done. She has no alternative and can’t afford dissolution of Assembly at this juncture.
This very development according to party insiders came as a shock to Mehbooba forcing her to wonder whether it was because people had distanced from the PDP patron because of his alliance with BJP. Whether Mehbooba will renew its alliance with BJP or will call it off, in both cases, she will be the loser. By calling the alliance off with the BJP will simply give an impression that Mufti Sayeed’s decision to ally with BJP was wrong and if she will renew it then again the party will alienate its supporters and sympathizers. It is not a rosy bed for her.
Some of the PDP legislators who are being admonished and even instructed not to talk to the media admit that it will be a Herculean task for ‘Madam’ to handle RSS backed BJP which is not serious in implementing Agenda of Alliance in letter and spirit. Leave aside the expansion of LoC trade, return of power projects and revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, even BJP is not willing to enter into any kind of dialogue with Hurriyat leaders. BJP doesn’t want to lose its support base in Jammu Division and if sources are to be believed they will always use dilly dally tactics when it will come to the implementation of Agenda of Alliance to keep their support base intact in Jammu. If we look at the functioning of PDP-BJP government of 10 months, BJP always used PDP’s shoulder to achieve its target.
Mehbooba is really in a fix. I t i s testing times for her. The damage has already been done. She has no alternative and can’t afford dissolution of Assembly at this juncture. Being the leader of the party she should know government formation with BJP involves risk but at the same time there is ample scope for minimizing risk. Besides pursuing the agenda of development if Mehbooba will take certain bold political initiatives without succumbing to the pressure from New Delhi, she will certainly help her party to gain firm ground in Kashmir Valley.
Whether Mehbooba will renew its alliance with BJP or will call it off, in both cases, she will be the loser. By calling the alliance off with the BJP will simply give an impression that Mufti Sayeed’s decision to ally with BJP was wrong and if she will renew it then again the party will alienate its supporters and sympathizers. It is not a rosy bed for her.
These political initiatives include the releasing of political prisoners, lenient approach towards alleged stonepelters and reviewing their cases, providing political space to separatist leadership and persuading New Delhi to engage them in talks. There are certain other things that Mehbooba as Chief Minister can do to alleviate the sufferings of the people of this trouble torn region.
The author is Executive Editor Current News Service. He can be mailed at [email protected]
