FAMILY MATTERS
Lone Threat to the Big Two
A new front taking shape under Sajad Lone promises to test the Muftis and the Abdullahs by Naseer Ganai in Srinagar
JAMMU and Kashmir ’ s top two political families — the Abdullahs and the Muftis — are facing a real challenge for the first time . The People ’ s Democratic Party ( PDP ) and its president , former CM Mehbooba Mufti , are facing a reb ellion within , even as the emergence of a ‘ third front ’ led by Sajad Gani Lone looks imminent . Even though not a single legislator from J & K ’ s grand old party , the National Conference ( NC ), has raised the banner of revolt so far , former CM and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah is repeatedly seeking dissolution of the J & K Assembly — worried that New Delhi is orchestrating the defection within the PDP to create a new political formation that could form the government in alliance with the BJP .
The 87-member assembly has been under suspended animation since the break-up of the PDP-BJP alliance . The PDP has 28 MLAs , making it the largest single party , followed by the BJP with 25 , NC 15 and Congress 12 , while Lone ’ s People ’ s Conference has two . The BJP is 16 short of forming the majority .
On Sunday , July 8 , Mehbooba had one-on-one meeting with her party MLAs . According to the PDP , 18 MLAs turned up or called her on phone , though other sources say only 12 met her . The interaction started at 11 am and continued till 6 pm . Omar , however , says there is a lot of “ confusion about how many MLAs attended the PDP meeting … and , in any case , speculation is meaningless ”.
The revolt against Mehbooba ’ s leadership and her party is led by Shia leader Imran Raza Ansari , who has a strong base in his own constituency of Pattan . He says Mehbooba turned the party into a family fiefdom , accommodating her brother , her uncle , nieces and others in positions of authority when she was CM .
Photographs : GETTY IMAGES
FAST FORWARD Lone , with his voter base in Kupwara , is an ally of the BJP
“ In party and cabinet meetings ,” says Ansari , “ I had warned Mehbooba of simmering discontent when I was minister for technical education . Now I am saying it openly .” Ansari is said to be close to Lone and former J & K finance minister Haseeb Drabu , who was removed from his post in March , following his controversial remark that J & K shouldn ’ t be seen as conflict state or a political problem , but as a society with social issues . Drabu and Lone , who are both reportedly close to the BJP general secretary Ram Madhav , had a meeting in Delhi last week , which Drabu described as “ a chance lunch , a few light-hearted laughs , back slapping bonhomie ”.
It was with Ram Madhav that Drabu had put together the PDP-BJP Agenda of Alliance document . Sometime after the fall of the coalition government ,
14 OUTLOOK 23 July 2018