Congress, National Conference say ready for J&K polls, put PDP in a puddle

SRINAGAR: The National Conference and Congress are waiting to cash in on the PDP-BJP alliance ‘standoff ’ and are hopeful of victory in case of snap polls. Leaders of the two parties have asked PDP and BJP to accept the ‘failure’ of ‘opportunistic’ powersharing arrangement and inform the public why the alliance has ‘failed’. The leaders said PDP would be responsible if fresh polls will have to be held almost five years before the exercise.

“They have to answer to the public: Whether BJP’s insensitiveness towards J&K, or PDP’s stubbornness and arrogance, that is responsible for the political stalemate,” Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir told ET. According to Mir, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi till his last breath and never accepted ‘criticism and opposition’ about the alliance. “If Modiji was sweet for the last ten months, why has he turned sour for PDP suddenly?

Mehboobaji has to answer this. She is the PDP president,” said Mir. The Congress leader said his party expects to emerge the largest by winning more than 30 seats in case of fresh elections. Congress has 12 members in the assembly. “Congress has stronghold across the state. BJP has no say, on this side of Jawahar Tunnel (that connects Jammu with Kashmir) and PDP has no footing on the other side. NC has become stale and a rotten option,” Mir claimed.

National Conference working president Omar Abdullah too asked Mehbooba Mufti to‘makeitclearwhy she did not ask for CBMs when Mufti was alive. “We are ready for fresh polls. Inshallah, we will improve a lot in case of fresh elections. Even, more than our expectations. People have now realised that the options they chose did nothing for them,” NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar said.