Mehbooba Mufti Denies Talks with BJP Ahead of Jammu and Kashmir Elections
Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti has dismissed any secret negotiations with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the upcoming Assembly elections in the Union Territory (UT). She stated, “We don’t do anything ‘chupke chupke’. When we were talking to Ram Madhav, we did so openly.”
Mufti was responding to claims made by BJP leader Devender Singh Rana, who alleged that National Conference (NC) leader and former J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met with BJP leaders Amit Shah and Ram Madhav in 2014 to request the formation of a government with NC. Rana said, “Omar Abdullah is trying to mislead the people of Kashmir by telling them that every political party except the National Conference is with the BJP.”
In the upcoming elections, Congress and the National Conference are contesting together. According to their seat-sharing agreement, NC will contest 51 of the 90 seats, and Congress will contest 32. The two parties will also contest five seats against each other. One seat each has been allocated for CPI(M) and Panthers Party, and the Samajwadi Party (SP) has extended its support to the Congress and NC alliance.
Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). The elections will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes on October 8. This is the first assembly poll since the abrogation of Article 370.
Doubts Revealed
Mehbooba Mufti -: Mehbooba Mufti is a politician from Jammu and Kashmir, a region in India. She was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and is the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is one of the major political parties in India. It is currently the ruling party in the central government.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It used to be a state but is now a Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) -: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir. It was founded by Mehbooba Mufti’s father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Devender Singh Rana -: Devender Singh Rana is a leader of the BJP. He made claims about secret meetings between other political leaders and the BJP.
National Conference (NC) -: The National Conference (NC) is another political party in Jammu and Kashmir. It is led by Omar Abdullah.
Omar Abdullah -: Omar Abdullah is a politician from Jammu and Kashmir and a leader of the National Conference (NC). He has also served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a part of the Indian Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It was abrogated, or removed, in 2019, changing the region’s status.
