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| Mufti fears rigging, rushes to PM | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 29: A day after formally committing his party to the forthcoming assembly elections, the PDP patron, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, has rushed to New Delhi to meet the prime minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, with an urgent appeal to categorically allay suspicions that the outcome of the poll process in Jammu and Kashmir had already been decided by the centre, and to press for the release of, and pre-poll dialogue with, separatist leaders.
As parties in the state gear for the polls, they have also started lobbying in New Delhi to swing the situation in their favour, observers feel.
Mufti's dash to Delhi comes just a day after his party declared its participation in the polls, with sources saying that he would be holding urging meetings with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other central leaders.
Mufti is said to be armed with certain suggestions his party has framed in regard to the conduct of the state elections.
Mufti's main concern with the prime minister is to make him issue a fresh assurance that the state assembly polls would be free and fair "to dispel the impression that the centre had given a clear signal to a particular political party in the state that it would be brought to power regardless of whether votes are cast or not."
Sources said that Mufti would impress on the prime minister that the situation in the state had entered an extremely critical stage, and would take an even more nastier turn by poll rigging and perceptions that New Delhi harboured a soft corner or preference for any one particular party.
The PDP patron is likely to stress that the centre's real or perceived partiality to any particular party (read the National Conference) would put a question mark on the entire democratic exercise in the state.
According to sources, Mufti would stress on letting Hurriyat leaders free instead of arresting them and initiating dialogue with the separatist camp to create an atmosphere more conducive for polls.
Announcing the PDP's decision to contest the polls, the party president, Mahbooba Mufti, had yesterday hinted that it would demand the release of Hurriyat leaders, and desired the formal initiation of dialogue with the separatists before polls.
She had said that New Delhi could not give an advance certificate to any party that it would be brought to power in the state as it was the people who had to determine the issue.
Mahbooba had said that her party had been compelled to take to the poll battle to combat what she described as propaganda campaign though it was not in favour of holding polls in the state in the present situation.
Sources said that during his meeting with the Prime Minister Mufti would also present him a copy of the PDP's self rule document which he unveiled a couple of days ago. |
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