Iltija Mufti urges PDP workers to reach out to people

Naseer Ganai

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Srinagar, February 14

Ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, the PDP has initiated its door-to-door campaign in south Kashmir. During an event in Pulwama, Iltija Mufti, daughter of ex-CM Mehbooba Mufti, sought support for the PDP leader while also asking party workers to rebuild trust with people.

“There was a strong bond between the PDP and the people. It has weakened in places. With Mehbooba’s imprisonment and various other factors, this bond suffered strains. I want to connect with you,” she said while addressing a gathering in Pulwama.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, the PDP won 11 out of the 16 Assembly seats, while the NC and the Congress each won two seats in the four districts of south Kashmir.

However, after the 2016 unrest following the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani, the PDP lost support in the region. In the 2019 polls, the PDP was defeated by NC candidate Hasnian Masoodi.

Earlier in the 2014 parliamentary elections, the party had won all three Lok Sabha seats in the Valley.

Talking to mediapersons recently in Shopian, she criticised the re-drawing of boundaries by the delimitation commission, describing linking Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu with Shopian and Anantnag as gerrymandering to benefit the BJP. She says only the PDP is a champion for youth empowerment.