Srinagar, May 6, 2025
Iltija Mufti, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has said that the ruling National Conference (NC) was not given the large mandate in elections to join the BJP’s narrative on Jammu and Kashmir.
In an interview with IANS, Iltija Mufti said, “I am unable to understand the fact that despite getting a large mandate in the Assembly elections from the people, the ruling NC is only joining the narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“They (NC) have started talking about their demand for the restoration of statehood to J&K. The BJP also demands statehood for J&K. During the Assembly session, the NC did not speak about the Waqf Amendment Act. The BJP supported the amendment and the NC chose to maintain silence on this,” Iltija Mufti claimed.
In the interview, while she backed tough measures by the Centre against Pakistan, she also said the government must take a ‘humane’ view on the women from that country who have been living in Kashmir for decades. “There are women who have been married to Kashmiris and settled in the Valley for the past 30-40 years. How can they be expected to return?” said Iltija Mufti while talking to IANS.
It must be recalled that Iltija Mufti fought the Legislative Assembly election in 2024 unsuccessfully from the Bijbehara Assembly constituency. Bijbehara is the native town of the Muftis and has been seen as a stronghold of the PDP. However, this common perception was dispelled after Iltija Mufti lost the seat to the NC candidate.
Out of the 90 Assembly seats that went to the polls last year after 10 years, the PDP won just three seats — Pulwama, Tral and Kupwara — in Kashmir.
The NC won 42 seats, the BJP 29, the Congress six, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) 1, CPI(M) 1, Peoples Conference 1, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 1 and six Independents.
Five Independents later joined the NC, while the Congress, AAP and CPI(M) supported the Omar Abdullah-led government from outside.
The 2024 Assembly elections were held after August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated and the state was divided into two UTs — J&K and Ladakh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have assured that statehood would be restored to J&K at ‘an appropriate time’.(Agency)
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