Asem Mohiuddin PC
The Legitimate Desk: Come 2019 when the elections in state shall be held for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Peoples Conference is emerging as a major political force after two local mainstream parties National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party.
The party led by its chief Sajad Lone who won two assembly seats in Kupwara in 2014 Assembly elections is mulling to contest on all 87 Assembly segments in the coming elections ruling out any pre poll alliance with BJP as presumed in the political circles.
Lone was the cabinet minister in PDP-BJP coalition which served in state for over three years before it collapsed in June this year. He was from the BJP quota after he established the links with the ruling party in New Delhi and called Prime Minster Narender Modi his elder brother.
The joining of some senior political leaders from PDP apparently boasted his morale ahead of the elections while put the PDP in the pressure zone.
Lone announced his decision to contest the elections on all 87 seats on Friday after former MLA Zadibal Abid Ansari joined his party. He was an MLA elected from Zadibal constituency on PDP ticket.
His Nephew and MLA Pattan had already joined the PC after accusing Mehbooba of furthering dynastic rule in the party and ignoring the grass root level leaders.
“We will not have any bonhomie with any local or national political party. We will be contesting elections on all 87 assembly seats in state on our won in2019,” he told media.
Reality Check
While PC may emerge as third political front in state to battle with the well rooted NC and PDP, it is unlikely that PC may cross the single digit. However, potentially the party may secure fewer seats in north Kashmir where Ansari’s wield the influence.
The party can encash over the Shia vote bank of Imran Ansari and Abid Ansari in Gulmarg and Baramulla constituencies and in some pockets of Budgam. The two seats, Pattan and Zadibal however, shall be weighing in its favour where the Ansaris are directly contesting.
In Sopore where the PC is holding some ground the possible low turnover in the electoral process and the potential candidate fielded by PC can possibly raise some chances for party. In 2014 elections the PDP and NC also received good margin of votes though Congress candidate Haji Abdul Rashid bagged the seat.
While there will be lesser chances for the PC to secure the double digit number in the elections; however the party after these elections may emerge as the major political platform in the mainstream politics after NC and PDP.
It may also serve as a political force in state which had its roots in separatism after this party was formed by Prof. Abdul Gani Lone, the father of the party chief Sajjad Lone.
The separatist influence which still exists in its cadre may try to gain certain amount of sympathy for the party in north Kashmir pockets and can immensely damage the poll prospectus of PDP.
“The votes in north Kashmir will be divided with the presence of PC. Though not substantial but it has its cadre in every district and constituency of North Kashmir. That will first set the bench mark for the party in future elections while in present times it will divide the vote bank of PDP especially in Spore, Kupwara Handwara and Baramulla constituencies though the chances for PC to win Handwara and Kupwara are better.
Meanwhile, while the cracks in the PDP are serving an opportunity for the PC to establish itself as major political force, however the politicians who have shifted their political loyalties during the trying times of PDP may not even serve faithful to Lone.
Owing to failure of government led by Mehbooba with its former ally BJP, it seems destined to fill the treasury benches of opposition in the assembly after 2019 elections. Many monumental blunders in the PDP may unlikely to bring Mehbooba led PDP in power in 2019 Assembly elections and many of its elders have apparently left the party for same reasons.
MLA Sangrama, Syed Basharat Bukhari who recently quit the party had served as senior cabinet minister with many portfolios. He had nothing substantial to speak against PDP while joining NC though he too levelled the common allegations which he was never victim of apparently. Bukhari however was facing the heat in his home constituency where he won with a very thin margin against Congress candidate Shoiab Lone.
Bukhari is trying to consolidate the NC vote bank in Wagoora belt since his home zone Kreeri has already showered its political loyalties to him.
While his exit may have served a shock to the PDP, his shifting of base to NC is making him a strong contender in upcoming Assembly elections against Congress leader Shoaib Lone.
