'PDP may be down, but we are not out': Mehbooba Mufti responds to Omar Abdullah on seat-sharing

Peoples' Democratic Party chief Mehooba Mufti

Hours after National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah announced his party would contest all Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir region, Mehbooba Mufti said she was disappointed with the decision.

Both regional parties are constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, formed in July 2023 to dislodge the BJP at the Centre.

Read: Rift widens in INDIA bloc as Omar says no truck with PDP in Anantnag seat

“I am disappointed with the National Conference’s decision. We were part of PAGD, formed for a larger cause, and Farooq Abdullah would always consult for many decisions. Today I am sad his party made a major decision without consulting us,” said PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

It was a matter of one seat (Anantnag Lok Sabha), and Farooq Abdullah could have easily conveyed if he was facing any issue in forging an alliance.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir had hope in our unity, which has been shattered. You know I am a fighter… We wanted everything to happen peacefully and not face each other as opponents,” Mehbooba added.

She alleged the National Conference has changed the goalpost. Instead of fighting the BJP, which has allegedly turned Jammu and Kashmir into a jail, the National Conference preferred rivalry with the PDP, she said.

“PDP may be down, but we are not out. There was a time when the National Conference had 65 seats and it was reduced to 16 seats also. We won three parliament seats once, and then we failed to get any seat. The mandate is with the people who decide our future,” Mehbooba Mufti added.

Sources said the Peoples’ Democratic Party has decided to field Mehbooba Mufti from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming polls.

She said, “It is very important to raise the voice of Jammu and Kashmir in the Parliament… We will also have talks with the Congress party regarding the decision taken by the National Conference.”