J&K Sees Turncoats Thriving Across Party Lines Ahead Of Key Assembly Elections

With the much awaited elections just a few weeks away, the regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir are witnessing migration of leaders after being denied mandates.

Since the announcement of elections by the EC, nearly a dozen leaders have switched sides and changed loyalty to other parties in hopes of their wishes to contest polls will be granted.

The heavyweights who switched sides include Taj Mohiuddin of Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Vice President of Apni Party and former MLC Zafar Iqbal Manhas.

Prior to it, Former Minister Usman Majid left Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari's Apni Party.

Besides it, Former MLA Wachhi, Ajaz Mir also resigned from PDP after he was replaced by Mehbooba Mufti's former PA Ghulam Mohiuddin. The party's spokesperson Suhail Bukhari also resigned from PDP. So did Harbaksh Singh, a prominent DDC member from Tral.

Interestingly, this trend is not being seen in the National Conference, as of now.

On August 18, former MLC Javid Mirchal joined NC in presence of party's senior leaders.

Jammu and Kashmir is all set to go for three phase assembly polls beginning September 18.

This will be the first Assembly elections in the erstwhile state after it was downgraded to a Union Territory following abrogation of Article-370.