PDP MLA accuses Mehbooba Mufti of nepotism

Srinagar, July 3: The cracks in the PDP are out in the open now as party MLA, Imran Raza Ansari, has openly accused former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of 'nepotism'. He told the media that ever since Mehbooba took charge of the party, she has only been favouring her relatives.

A TOI report earlier quoted Ansari as saying that Mehbooba's "incompetence" had led to the government's collapse. Three MLAs of the Peoples Democratic Party have criticised Mehbooba Mufti and blamed her for the collapse of the government

"I have been telling Mehbooba Mufti for a while that I feel suffocated in this party. From the time she has joined PDP, she keeps thinking about benefits of her relatives. Nepotism has destroyed this party and the entire Kashmir..I told Mehbooba Mufti some time ago that 'humne aapko khuda-hafiz kar diya hai'. We are stuck for now as we are MLAs, but we are ready for elections. We want to work for public even if we have to change 50 parties for this purpose," ANI quoted Ansari as saying.

Gulmarg MLA Muhammad Abbas also said on Monday he would follow in the footsteps of Imran Raza Ansari, said reports.

Meanwhile, there were speculations on Monday evening that the Congress and the PDP may attempt to forge an alliance. The PDP has 28 seats and the Congress has 12 in the 87-member state Assembly. A simple majority of 44 seats is required to form the government.

However, the Congress said that it favoured an early election and ruled out extending support to the PDP to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehbooba Mufti also rubbished such rumours and tweeted, "Amused at media speculations about a possible PDP-INC alliance to form the government in J&K."

General Secretary in-charge of the state Ambika Soni told reporters after a meeting of the party's policy planning group on Kashmir that the party will prepare for fresh elections on the basis of its programmes, while a meeting of 100 senior party leaders from all three regions of the state will be held in Srinagar on Tuesday to chalk out the future roadmap.