Mehbooba Mufti Emphasizes Peace and Dignity for Jammu and Kashmir Ahead of Elections
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), highlighted the party’s main goal of providing peace with dignity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She stated that the PDP has always fought elections independently for the sake of the people.
Mufti said, “We have always fought alone. Ever since our party was formed, we have fought alone and with the support of the people. We have fought to remove the sufferings of the people here… The basic agenda of the PDP is to place Jammu and Kashmir into an era of dignity. To give peace with dignity. We are moving forward with that agenda. Whether someone is with us or not, people should be with us.”
She was responding to questions about the PDP’s expectations in light of the pre-poll alliance between the Congress and the National Conference. Mufti mentioned that if the Congress-NC alliance accepts the PDP’s agenda, they are ready to support them.
In their election manifesto, the PDP promised efforts to restore Articles 370 and 35A, initiate diplomatic dialogues between India and Pakistan, and ensure the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley.
In the 2014 Assembly elections, the PDP won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference won 15, and the Congress won 12. The PDP and BJP formed a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. However, in 2018, the BJP withdrew its support after Mehbooba Mufti took over following Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s demise.
Jammu and Kashmir is expected to witness multi-cornered contests on most seats in the upcoming elections, the first since the abrogation of Article 370. The Election Commission has issued a notification for the first phase of elections, in which 24 seats will go to the polls. In the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, the BJP won both seats in Jammu, while the National Conference won two seats. The votes will be counted on October 4.
Doubts Revealed
Mehbooba Mufti -: Mehbooba Mufti is a politician in India. She was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, a region in India.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in the northern part of India. It has beautiful mountains and is known for its unique culture.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) -: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir. It was founded to work for the people of the region.
Articles 370 and 35A -: Articles 370 and 35A were special laws in the Indian Constitution. They gave special rights and autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.
India-Pakistan dialogues -: India-Pakistan dialogues are talks between the countries of India and Pakistan. These talks aim to solve problems and improve relations between the two countries.
Kashmiri Pandits -: Kashmiri Pandits are a group of people from the Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir. They had to leave their homes due to conflict in the region.
abrogation of Article 370 -: The abrogation of Article 370 means that the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir was removed. This happened in August 2019.
