Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. | Photo credit: PTI
Srinagar: After joining the alliance for the implementation of the Gupkar declaration, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti appears to have written the alliance’s agenda.
To be or not to be? Shakespeare’s Hamlet has finally come to haunt the Gupkar alliance members after the Mufti press conference.
Speaking to the media in Srinagar on Friday, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chairman Mehbooba Mufti said that unless J & K’s special status is restored as it existed before August 5, 2019, participation in any electoral process is meaningless.
Six parties to the alliance for the implementation of the Gupkar declaration include the National Conference (NC) headed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, PDP headed by Mehobooba Mufti, the People’s Conference (PC) headed by Sajad Gani Lone, the Conference Awami National (ANC) led by Khalida Shah, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM) led by Feroz Peerzada and the local CPI-M unit led by Yusuf Tarigama.
Gupkar’s declaration seeks the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and also statehood for J&K.
Farooq Abdullah leads the alliance as the highest ranking politician and also because of the strength of his party cadres.
He, as the leader of the alliance, has been reiterating his commitment to the declaration, but has so far failed to make the restoration of special status a precondition for participating in the elections.
Just a day ago, the NC made it clear that the decision to participate or stay away from the upcoming elections for district development councils (DDC) would be made by the party’s working committee.
The statement clearly indicates that boycotting the elections is not yet part of NC’s campaign to restore J & K’s special status.
Now that Mehbooba Mufti has clearly stated that there are no gray areas as he fights for the restoration of J & K’s special status, non-participation in the elections unless the pre-August 5, 2019 position is restored could be presented as a fait accompli for the NC.
“It is a long political battle and we all have to fight together,” Mehbooba Mufti told reporters on Friday during her first interaction with the media after being released from a 14-month detention.
Hunting with the dog and running with the challenge has become literally impossible for the alliance members of Gupkar’s declaration after his declaration.
“If they decide to participate in the elections after the PPD decides to stay away, the alliance would have lost its relevance.
“If they decide to stay away from the elections until special status is restored, then they will not be able to gain power in the foreseeable future at J&K,” said a keen observer of Kashmir politics.
It is generally believed that taking a very strong stance was inevitable for Mehbooba Mufti given the fact that she and her father shared power with the BJP that spearheaded the Abrogation of 370 movement.
“She has more to atone for her past association with the BJP, but in the process she has dealt a masterstroke by making things difficult for the NC,” said another political observer.
Interestingly, through unequivocal claims he made during the course of Friday’s press conference, Mehbooba Mufti has written the agenda for the Gupkar alliance that can now only be overridden if the alliance is broken.
