Pdp staRts ReVamp pRocess
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) celebrated its 19th foundation day on Saturday and set in motion a major revamp with the aim to prevent its split. The party was founded by Mehbooba Mufti’s father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 1999. The PDP leadership is afraid of its former coalition partner BJP’s designs to form government in Jammu and Kashmir with the help of its rebels. To keep the party united is a major challenge for PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. At least, five MLAs and two MLCs have openly spoken against the party leadership after the fall of the government. Many in the party have described the earlier partnership with the saffron party as an “unholy alliance”. On Monday, PDP vicepresident and Mehbooba Mufti’s maternal uncle Sartaj Madni and five other party office-bearers resigned in a bid “to silence the rebels”. It is learnt that the PDP’s founding member and Member of Parliament Muzzaffar Baig is likely to play a key role in the days to come.
After the fall of the government, Mufti had detailed interactions with party MLAs, MPs and district and zonal presidents and got a clear picture about the brewing rebellion and decided to give more responsibilities to senior leaders and former ministers, including Abdul Rehman Veeri, Syed Altaf Bukhari, Dilawar Mir and Abdul Haq Khan. Her core team, including Altaf Bukhari, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Dilawar Mir and Haq Khan, will also get major roles. The MLAs will be given more responsibilities.