Sajad Lone's Peoples' Conference pulls out of Gupkar Alliance, cites 'breach of trust' among partners

The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples' Conference headed by Sajad Gani Lone has decided to pull out of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an alliance of regional parties that contested the recently concluded District Development Council (DDC) polls in the Union territory.

Lone has cited "breach of trust" among the constituent parties, which was “beyond remedy” as reason for his party's decision.

Lone wrote a letter on January 19 to PAGD President and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah alleging that other parties in the alliance fielded proxy candidates in the DDC polls.

“It is difficult for us to stay and pretend as if nothing has happened. There has been a breach of trust between partners which we believe is beyond remedy. The majoritarian view in our party is that we should pull out of the alliance in an amicable manner rather than waiting for things to get messier. And I am confirming that we will no longer be part of the PAGD alliance,” Lone said in the letter.

In all, PAGD won 110 of the 280 territorial segments in the DDC polls, first electoral exercise since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

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