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| Frustration, desperation | | Rising popularity of Mufti in Kashmir rattles NC | | Rustam
JAMMU, Nov 4: The PDP of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has, it seems, become quite popular in Kashmir and its rising popularity has rattled the NC leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The Mufti factor in Kashmir has rattled and confused the NC leadership to the extent that it is saying that the "trifurcation" of the PDP is imminent. It is unlikely to happen.
The PDP may not click in Jammu province and Ladakh region because of some specific reasons, which are too well-known, but it is likely to perform exceedingly well in the Valley where its main political opponent is the NC, which now no longer commands the people's respect, despite the fact that some of the party leaders are speaking the language of separatists. The PDP leadership has worked hard in Kashmir. Even in 2009, the PDP had won more seats and got more votes in the Valley in the Assembly election as compared to the NC. Things have substantially changed since then owing to the failure of the NC-Congress coalition government to deliver on any front.
That even Omar Abdullah is feeling the heat can be seen from his November 2nd Bandipora scathing attack on Mufti Sayeed. It was not a political attack. It was a personal attack from a leader who, it appears, has already conceded his defeat in Kashmir. The kind of attack Omar Abdullah, who is being accused by many in Kashmir of making compromises to retain control over the state power he got by an accident, made on Mufti Sayeed indicated not just his frustration and desperation but could also be construed as an admission that he is no match to Mufti Sayeed and that the popularity graph of the PDP leader has completely upset the NC working president. Only frustrated leaders make personal attacks and that his attack on Mufti Sayeed was out and out personal could be seen from what he said at Bandipora while addressing a gathering.
Omar Abdullah, among other things, said: Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is power hungry who used to 'burn temples and play petty politics to achieve power…Mufti disrupted his family life by 'sowing seeds of discord' between Khalida Shah and Farooq Abdullah in 1984 to gain power.
Mufti burnt down Hindu temples in Bijbehara to achieve power. Then he sent Jagmohan as Governor to the State…Mufti resorts to various tricks to damage National Conference and its government. He even tried to buy our MLAs. In 2005 he was ready to put everything at stake for protection of his chair…I am not like Muftis who are power hungry for themselves and their family…When I will feel that my power is going against the aspirations of my people, I will leave this power and chair…Mufti tried his best to break National Conference to stay in power".
Was it not a pure personal attack? Indeed, it was. It appears that he would become more shrill with each passing day, as he knows that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed a shrewd politician is capable of turning tables on his political foes. That Mufti Sayeed has the power to sway the people of Kashmir became evident in 2002 and 2008. It was because of Mufti Sayeed and his team that the NC, which once used to the Valley's premier religio-political organization, suffered the worst ever defeat. The NC lost almost fifty per cent of the seats it had won in 2002 and again in 2008.
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