Dissident legislator removed from PDP’s dist president’s post
Decision was taken after Mehbooba’s meeting with senior party leaders at her Gupkar residence
SRINAGAR: As four dissident legislators did not show any interest in meeting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP removed a dissident legislator Yasir Reshi from the post of party’s district president on Thursday.
Yasir Reshi from north Kashmir’s Sonawari constituency is the member of legislative council and was also district president of Bandipore. Last week, Reshi had spoken against the former J&K chief minister and endorsed the views of dissident legislators and former minister Imran Reza Ansari, who has become the rallying point for dissident assembly members.
“The party has removed Yasir Reshi as district president for Bandipore. The district president of Baramulla Irshad Rasool Kar will look after the party affairs of Bandipore for the time being,” PDP chief spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir said.
The decision has been taken after Mehbooba Mufti’s meeting with senior party leaders at her Gupkar residence. Sources said, it was decided in the meeting that party will continue to reach out to dissident legislators and if they will show reluctance, disciplinary action could be taken against them.
“Four legislators, who spoke against the leadership, didn’t meet the party president despite party’s constant efforts to fix their meeting with the president. The party will continue its reach, however, if it fails, disciplinary action is inevitable,” a senior PDP leader told Hindustan Times.
Since last Saturday, 20 legislators had one-to-one meeting with Mehbooba Mufti. The PDP leaders said some legislators spoke to her over phone.
However, four legislators — Imran Reza Ansari,(Pattan), Abid Ansari, (Zadibal), Javeed Baig, (Baramulla) and Abas Wani (Tangmarg) — didn’t show any interest in meeting the party president.
Soon after the government fell, six PDP legislators spoke against the PDP president and blamed her for turning party into a family affair party. However, one of the dissident legislators Abdul Majeed Padder met Mehbooba Mufti and had one to one meeting with her earlier this week.
Former minister Imran Reza Ansari, first one to raise the banner of revolt against Mehbooba Mufti, had recently said that he will not remain part of the PDP which will be headed by Mehbooba Mufti because he blamed her for turning the party into a family fiefdom. Sources said Imran is in touch with former minister and chairman Peoples Conference Sajjad Lone and jointly they are planning to form a new group with most of the legislators from north Kashmir.