 Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 23: Notwithstanding the sincerity of the Congress to avoid division of anti-BJP votes in Jammu and Kashmir, the direct fight between two opposition parties looks imminent on at-least two Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir.
Highly placed sources said that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cleared the names of party president Mehbooba Mufti for the prestigious Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri seat and Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra for the central Kashmir’s Srinagar seat.
“Although names of party candidates will be announced at the appropriate time, campaigning on these seats has already been started”, sources said and added that the recent statement of Parra against the NC was a clear indication of an imminent fight.
Parra on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the “arrogant” National Conference (NC) for not taking coalition partners into PDP has cleared the names of Mehbooba Mufti for Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri seat and Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra for central Kashmir’s Srinagar seat.
Parra's recent statement against the NC was a clear indication of an imminent fight.
Parra had warned that such arrogance could lead to electoral repercussions similar to the NC’s defeat in 2002.
Leaders in PDP have made it clear that surrendering parliamentary seats to NC would prove suicidal for the party.
Parra criticized the NC's attitude suggesting that if Farooq had requested seats from Mufti, she would have willingly conceded all Kashmir seats to the NC. However, he regretted the NC's perceived arrogance in dismissing the PDP's relevance. Parra warned that such arrogance could lead to electoral repercussions similar to the NC’s defeat in 2002.
Notably, Mehbooba Mufti has already started campaign for the Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri Lok Sabha by conducting a tour in different areas.
“PDP leaders from the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri have already been tasked with the job of preparing booth-level committees in their respective areas”, sources said.
Sources said that leaders of the PDP have made it clear to the party that surrendering parliamentary seats for the NC would prove suicidal for the party in the next Assembly elections. | 