Losing Cause

BJP and Sajjad Lone are the big losers in the latest political drama in Kashmir

- Tariq Bhat

While announcing the tie-up between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP in 2015, PDP founder Mufti Muhammad Sayeed described it as the coming together of the North Pole and the South Pole. The alliance lasted almost three and a half years, but it was clearly a loveless marriage.

The BJP, finding itself in power in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time, tried to push its own agenda in the Muslim majority state, in violation of the Agenda of Alliance the two parties had agreed to. And, in June, it decided to walk out on the partnership. The coalition government collapsed and Jammu and Kashmir went into governor’s rule once again.

The BJP then tried to encourage a rebellion in the PDP with the help of Sajjad Lone of the Peoples Conference (PC). It succeeded in luring five PDP legislators, including two Shia MLAs, Abid Ansari and Imran Ansari, who accused the PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, of nepotism and family rule. But it failed to muster the necessary numbers to form the government.

The civic polls in Jammu and Kashmir t in October saw the BJP, aided by the non-participation of the PDP and the National Conference (NC) over the Article 35A row, sweep Jammu and make gains in Kashmir. Perhaps buoyed by this, it renewed the efforts to form the government with the help of the PDP rebels. According to Mehbooba, the BJP tried to lure some of the PDP MLAs with money and threatened others with cases.

Fresh cracks emerged in the PDP when Muzaffar Baig, one of the founding members of the party, said at a news conference on November 20 that the third front by Lone should be encouraged. He said Lone was like his son and the PC like home, and that he would join him if Lone wished it.