Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Member Parliament Fayaz Mir Friday accused National Conference (NC) of fielding their District Development Council (DDC) candidates on the seats allotted to them in Kupwara by the PAGD leadership.
“On 14 seats in Kupwara like Hyama, Karnah, Ridi, Kralpora, Drugmulla, everywhere they fielded their candidates and went against the PAGD decision. When PAGD took a decision about fighting the joint election, I, former MLA Bashir Ahmed Dar, and NC leader also decided to adhere to the decision for the bigger cause. But NC fielded candidates on all the 14 seats,” local news gathering agency KNS quoted Mir as having said. “There were proxy candidates in every constituency. PAGD knows everything. They should have taken action.”
On whether he also blames the PDP leadership for this, Mir said, “Whatever the decisions were taken by PAGD leadership were not adhered on the ground. All of us nominated proxy candidates. What was the fun of PAGD then? We were given one seat in Handwara and Karnah each and no seat in Kupwara. In Karnah, NC nominated their proxy candidate. We were given two seats in Lolab, but at both places NC nominated its own candidates.”
He said that while at some places, PAGD seat-sharing agreement was adhered to it was not the case at most places and that the PAGD leadership should have taken action against those responsible for violations.
On why all PAGD leadership was maintaining silence after DDC polls, Mir said people here had always been deceived and this time they had been deceived by the mainstream parties.
“If you boast of unification for the cause, then when your leaders, MLAs, MPs don’t adhere to the decision, aren’t they deceiving the people and pushing them into a quagmire,” he said.
Mir said there was no need to even discuss the issue of statehood as its restoration had been promised in the parliament.
“They have to give statehood at any cost. Article 370 was given by this country not Pakistan. It is not a crime to talk about Article 370. We will talk about our rights,” he said.
On whether he blamed the PDP President Mehbooba Mufti for the poor performance of PDP, he said, “If anything happens in a home, its head has to take the blame. As far as Mehbooba Ji is concerned, she is not to be blamed for it. Yes the vision of Mufti sb to pull out this state from a quagmire was stalled by our leaders. This is the reason we are showing downward performance after every election. Mehbooba Ji herself can speak better on it.”