In a significant blow to Mehbooba Mufti's party PDP ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the party's chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari resigned on Tuesday. Bukhari was reportedly upset about not being given the mandate to contest the elections. He had hoped to contest from Vagura-Kreeri, but his chances of securing a ticket were significantly reduced when former minister Basharat Bukhari rejoined PDP last month.
Once a journalist, Bukhari had become a close associate of PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and served as her media advisor when she was the Chief Minister. Speaking to journalists, Bukhari said he joined the party after the fall of the PDP-BJP government in 2019.
According to PTI, he stated, "It was a challenging period, and over the past five years, I have worked immensely hard to strengthen the core ideology of PDP, which is the identity and rights of the people of Kashmir. When efforts were made to break PDP, the party workers did not waver and stood firm through all the ups and downs. Young and educated individuals also joined the party and contributed to its growth."
Bukhari Accuses Party of Sidelining Him
However, Bukhari accused the party of sidelining dedicated members despite their significant contributions. He said, "While new leaders are being welcomed, many of those who have been steadfast with the party are being excluded. In such circumstances, continuing was challenging for me, and hence, I have resigned from the position of chief spokesperson and the primary membership of the party."
Another Leader Resigns in Tral
Meanwhile, another PDP leader and DDC member from Tral, Harbaksh Singh, also resigned from the party. Singh was displeased with the induction of Rafiq Ahmad Naik, son of former National Conference minister and MP from Tral, Ali Mohammad Naik, into PDP. Naik is set to get the party ticket from Tral. Harbaksh Singh announced that he is leaving PDP to join the Awami Ittihad Party, led by MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who is currently in Tihar Jail.
Singh clarified that his decision to leave PDP was not because of not getting a ticket. He felt excluded from critical decisions despite being a senior leader. He mentioned that despite giving 14 years to PDP, he was not informed about the party's decision regarding the Tral seat.
