Mehbooba reaches out to PDP MLAs, to meet rebels today

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 8

Amid dissent in Peoples Democratic Party, party president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday reached out to party legislators in Srinagar.

However, no lawmaker who had publically spoken against the party leadership in the past few days met Mehbooba. Sources, however, said that three rebel legislators – Abdul Majeed Padder, Javeed Beigh and Abass Wani — had sought time on Monday for a meeting with the party president.

The sources said at least 21 lawmakers, including 16 MLAs, had met Mehbooba individually at her Gupkar residence since last evening and held discussions on the current political situation. She was meeting the legislators for the first time after some of her party leaders had spoken against her after the collapse of the coalition.

A PDP MLA said the lawmakers who met the party president “expressed their full faith in the party leadership”. “A few of them expressed their reservations against some party leaders and ministers who had taken the party for a ride,” the lawmaker said.

One of the MLAs from south Kashmir said Mehbooba held discussions with the party leaders straightaway after returning from New Delhi on Saturday. “She heard us patiently,” he said.

The sources said former PDP ministers Haseeb Drabu and Haq Khan who are out of the state may also meet Mehbboba in the coming days and discuss the political scenario. Drabu, who has been in touch with Mehbooba after the fall of the PDP-BJP government, is returning to Srinagar next week. Another former minister Haq Khan is in Jaipur. Kokernag MLA Abdul Rahim Rather, who had expressed dissenting views recently, said that he could not meet the party president as he was unwell. “May be I will meet the president tomorrow,” Rather said.

After the fall of the PDP-BJP government, cracks in the Kashmir-centric PDP became evident as at least five leaders, including a former minister, have spoken on record against Mehbooba Mufti and the party leadership.

The first to speak against Mehbooba within the party after the break-up with the BJP was MLA from Zadibal, Srinagar, Abdi Ansari. A day later, former minister and his uncle Imran Ansari accused his party boss of only “promoting her family interests” and also held her “responsible for the coalition break-up.”

At least two MLAs and an MLC have also come in support of Imran Ansari.

Drabu in touch too

• Former PDP ministers Haseeb Drabu and Haq Khan who are out of the state may also meet Mehbooba in the coming days and discuss the political scenario. 
• Drabu, who has been in touch with Mehbboba after the fall of the PDP-BJP government, will be  returning from Mumbai to Srinagar next week. Haq Khan is currently in Jaipur.