Amid resignation of its several senior leaders, the Peoples Democratic Party Monday summoned all the district heads to get feedback about the “unfolding situation within the party” and “measures needed to be taken to strengthen it”.
This is the third such meeting held by the party in less than a month, amid growing dissent from its members which has threatened its survival.
Chaired by the party’s vice-president Abdur Rehman Veeri, the meeting, which lasted for three hours at the party headquarter here, took a district-wise review of the party affairs.
“We discussed all issues that the party is faced with. The overall political situation of the state also came up for discussion,” Veeri said.
He said ever since the BJP-PDP government collapsed in the state in June this year, there have been “many developments” within PDP.
“These developments are a cause of concern. We discussed the ways and means to take the party forward,” Veeri said.
The PDP was hit by a rebellion days after the BharatiyaJanata Party pulled out of the alliance with it in June this year.
The party president Mehbooba Mufti, who has already chaired meetings of the party’s political affairs committee and the core group in the past three weeks, finds herself in the middle of a crisis. In the past six months, five senior leaders—Imran Raza Ansari, BasharatBukhari, Abid Ansari, HaseebDrabu, Muhammad Abbas Wani and Peer Muhammad Hussain—have quit the party.
One of the district presidents who attended today’s meeting said “all issues” came up for discussion.
“The party is in the middle of a crisis, we can’t deny that. But we are hopeful to overcome this phase too,” the district president said, adding this “crisis” was discussed threadbare during the meeting. Another district president said the worry for the party is the slide in its support base in southern Kashmir.
“We had a mass support in southern Kashmir at one point of time. But today we are faced with a situation there at a time when the (assembly) elections are approaching fast,” he said, though he quickly added that the situation was “alike” for all parties in southern areas of the Valley.
District president Anantnag said all the issues related to the party came up for discussion including the “situation” in southern Kashmir for the past two years. “The situation has worsened for the past two years in Kashmir. Much of its impact was felt in south,” he said.
Veeri said they got a “good feedback” from district presidents about the party’s position in their areas.
“But there was a concern raised about the need for reaching out to the people by holding programs and functions,” he said.
Meanwhile, the meeting also discussed arrangements for the third death anniversary of the PDP founder and former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.
The main function is scheduled to be held at Bijbehara and the party is planning a “show of strength” on the day.
The members were asked to gear up and ensure participation of maximum number of workers and supporters from different areas. Among others who attended the meeting included senior party leaders GhulamNabi Lone (Hanjura), MuhammadKhurshedAlam, Noor Mohammad Sheikh, AsiyaNaqash, Zahoor Ahmad Mir, Muhammad Khalil Bandh and various district presidents.