The talk of formation of a third front in Kashmir is at the consultation level right now but there are voices from different political formations ready to come together to provide an alternative to the people, Democratic Party Nationalist president and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said on Monday.
Mir is seen as one of the key players who have thrown their weight behind the idea of a third front, ahead of the next assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.
“At present this process is only at the consultation level, nothing has been finalised yet,” Mir said.
This is not for the first time that the talk of the third front has gained ground in the state. Each time J&K comes close to an assembly election, this idea of coming together of “like-minds” to float a new political force is floated. But so far it has remained limited to the idea only.
“We are serious this time,” said Mir.
Mir also said that the Peoples Democratic Party, which had come up as an “alternative” political force, was “on the verge of disintegration”.
“This has now prompted the need for formation of third front in Kashmir,” he said. “Like-minded people including politicians from different parties are ready to come together to give a shape to this idea”.
Apart from Mir, former minister and Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) president Hakim Muhammad Yaseen and CPI-M leader Muhammad Yousuf Targami are among prominent faces who have been holding consultations with “like-minded people” from other parties over the third front formation.
“The talks are on,” said Yaseen.
Mir, Yaseen and Tarigami were also in constant touch with senior Peoples Democratic Party leader and former minister Muhammad Dilawar Mir, said the PDF president.
“Dilwar sahib is our old friend. We have met him and we are in constant touch with each other. He also wants that third front should take a shape as he knows that PDP is now a sinking ship,” said Yaseen.
The assertion by Yaseen that Dilawar Mir was ready to switch sides could trigger another wave of rebellion in the PDP which is in the midst of a crisis. While five of its former MLAs have quit the party in the past six months, another three former MLAs were expelled by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for “anti-party activities”, after losing power in June last year.
The “crisis” within the PDP, said Yaseen, has created a vacuum in state’s political turf and “necessitated” that people should get an alternative political force.
“We have been holding consultations with certain friends and like-minded people from state’s traditional parties. Things will hopefully take a shape in coming 10 days,” Yaseen said.
Talking to Greater Kashmir Dilawar Mir however said he was not part of “any process aimed at formation of third front”.
However he added that there was nothing wrong in meeting people over a cup of tea and discuss the state politics.
“We do meet people, sit and discuss lot of things including politics,” said the PDP leader whose son is a former PDP legislator.