Mehbooba Mufti not to contest Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls; ‘Can’t even file an FIR as CM,’ says PDP chief

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said she will not contest the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The former chief minister said she would not be able to fulfil her party’s agenda in the union territory set up even if she became the chief minister.

“I have been chief minister of a government with the BJP which revoked FIRs against 12,000 persons (in 2016). Can we do that now? I, as the chief minister of a government with (PM) Modi, wrote a letter to separatists inviting them for talks. Can you do that today? I got a ceasefire (implemented). Can you do that today? If you cannot take back an FIR as chief minister, what does one do with such a post?” said Mehbooba on Wednesday.

Jammu and Kashmir will vote in three phases beginning September 18. However, Mehbooba’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, is making a poll debut by contesting from family stronghold Bijbehara seat in South Kashmir.

The PDP president was asked if she has had a change of heart on contesting the polls after vice president of arch-rival National Conference Omar Abdullah made a U-turn on his stand of not participating in the polls till Jammu and Kashmir was a union territory.

“Omar himself said that he will have to be at the door of the (lieutenant) governor for transfer of a peon. I am not bothered about the transfer of the peon but can we implement our agenda?” the former chief minister said.

Omar Abdullah, who had vowed not to participate in assembly polls until Jammu and Kashmir remained a union territory, was among 32 candidates named by the party on earlier this week. Abdullah will contest polls from NC bastion Ganderbal seat. Omar won the elections from here in 2008.

On the alliance between National Conference and Congress for Jammu and Kashmir polls, the PDP president said the two parties have always come together just for the sake of power.

Mehbooba said the PDP is fighting for a bigger cause as it is the only party which implements its agenda after coming to power.

“In 2002, we said we would repeal POTA and we did it. We said we will open (cross-LoC) routes and we did it. We said we will facilitate talks and we did it with the Hurriyat Conference. We follow our agenda and even today our agenda is that there is an issue which cannot be resolved without addressing it. And restoration of Article 370 is also important for resolution of this issue.

In the last assembly election held in 2014, PDP emerged as the single-largest party with 28 seats. The BJP finished second with 25 seats. The PDP, led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mehbooba’s father, decided to form an unprecedented alliance with the BJP, a party with ideologies poles apart.

The PDP-BJP government, however, could not last the full 6-year term as BJP withdrew its support to former PDP in 2018. Since then, the erstwhile state has been under central rule.