Apni Party attempts to shun BJP’s ‘proxy’ tag

Adil Akhzer

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Srinagar, August 10

After failing to make a mark in the Lok Sabha elections, the Apni Party is trying to shun the tag of being the BJP’s ‘proxy party’. Party leaders say the perception had damaged the party’s electoral prospects in the Valley.

In March 2020, months after the Centre abrogated Article 370 and detained several leaders in the Valley, former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Altaf Bukhari had announced the formation of Apni Party. Formed with more than a dozen of former legislators, the organisation was dubbed as a regional party with a national outlook.

Bukhari had said that it was a party “by the commoners, for the commoners and of the commoners”. However, four years later, the party is struggling to emerge as a political force in the UT. In its first major test during the Lok Sabha poll, it faced drubbing with its candidates losing their security deposit.

Apni Party sources told The Tribune that the party had started to make efforts to shun its BJP’s ‘proxy’ tag. The bid was also evident on July 1, when Bukhari said the party had no affiliation or alliance with any other political organisations during a comprehensive session in Srinagar. The party reiterated this on July 9 through a social media post.

Opposition parties have often accused the Apni Party of being a “B team” or “proxy” of the BJP in Kashmir. During the Lok Sabha poll, the BJP ended its “veiled” support to the party in Anantnag seat, and its leaders came out openly to back the new party. Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari and the party’s Anantnag candidate, Zafar Iqbal Manhas, also shared stage with the BJP leaders in Poonch.

Mohammad Ashraf Mir, former minister and senior Apni Party leader, said the party was tagged, which led to confusion among voters. “We have no alliance with anyone, and will fight the upcoming poll on our own,” he said.

“The Apni Party was set up when the people of J&K had no representation. Other parties have deceived the public and betrayed their trust time and again, leading to the abrogation of Article 370,” Mir said.

Another leader said no votes were transferred from allies to the Apni Party. “If you see the two seats, votes that the BJP had promised didn’t come to us,” he added.

During the General Election, the Apni Party had also joined hands with Sajad Lone. Bukhari had extended his support to Lone in the Baramulla seat, while Lone offered his party’s support to Bukhari in Srinagar.

As if the party’s poll debacle was not enough, Apni Party suffered another setback with its vice-president and senior leader Usman Majid quitting the party. This month, former MLA Noor Muhammad also resigned from the party.

Majid said his workers left him with two options, and the Apni Party’s association with the BJP forced him to leave. “Earlier it was only an allegation that the party was the BJP’s ‘B’ team, but the party aligned with the BJP during the Lok Sabha poll, proving these claims to be true,” he said, adding that people in Kashmir don’t like to align with the saffron party.

Jammu-based political expert Zafar Choudhary said while there could be some individuals with personal support base, the party did not stand a very good chance on the basis of its outlook. He said the party’s performance despite the conspicuous and inconspicuous support from the Centre in the 2020 District Development Council poll was “humiliatingly bad”.

Leaders sans ideological commitments

Drawn from different parties, Apni Party leaders seem to have come together with the sole purpose of power without any ideological commitment. Some leaders have already left after its embarrassing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, while some may be on their way out ahead of the Assembly poll. — Zafar Choudhary, Jammu-based political expert