To stem rebellion, Mehbooba meets two party dissidents

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 10

In an effort to stifle dissent and stem the rebellion by party legislators, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday met five MLAs, including two dissidents, to “thrash out” the differences.

The dissident MLAs, who met Mehbooba included Abdul Majeed Paddar and Abdul Rahim Rather. The other three MLAs were former minister Abdul Haq Khan, Javeed Mustafa Mir and Shah Mohd Tantray. Abdul Haq’s meeting is significant as he has remained silent after he was dropped from the Cabinet by Mehbooba.

The meeting of the MLAs, including the two dissidents, is seen a significant move by the party to ensure the flock remains together.

Rather, an MLA from Kokernag, said he met the PDP chief and apprised her about some issues.

“I conveyed my points and concerns and it is up to the leader to act on that,” Rather said. “She was positive. Whatever I said, she agreed to every point,” he said. Rather said he was part of the PDP and was not a “rebel” as was being reported.

“However, I had some issues which I discussed with the party leader in the meeting,” he said.

The other dissident — Abdul Majeed Paddar, who publicly spoke against Mehbooba, met her at her Gupkar residence.

PDP sources said the MLAs expressed their unhappiness over the way the party’s top posts were held by those people who had no political base. It is also learnt that Mehbooba made it clear to the MLAs that some politicians were trying to “befool them by telling that government formation was under way.”

The sources said Mehbooba promised the disgruntled MLAs that those “leaders identified by them will be cut to size”. And the sidelining of those party leaders became clear as many of them like vice-president Sartaj Madni and senior leader Naeem Akhtar did not attend the core committee meeting of the party to discuss the political situation on Tuesday evening. In another development, PDP’s two Rajya Sabha members — Fiyaz Mir and Ahmad Laway — also met Mehbooba on Tuesday.

No govt formation under way: PDP chief

• PDP sources said MLAs expressed their unhappiness over the way the party's top posts were held by those people who had no political base
• Mehbooba promised the disgruntled MLAs that those "leaders identified by them will be cut to size" 
• It is also learnt that Mehbooba made it clear to the MLAs that some politicians were trying to "befool them by telling that government formation was under way."