FISSURES IN PDP: Ansari revolts, Wani backs him
Srinagar: A day after senior PDP leader and MLA Zadibal accused the party leadership of favouritism and nepotism, former minister and MLA Pattan, Imran Raza Ansari targeted the PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and accused her of being ‘incompetent’ that according to Ansari led to the collapse of her dispensation.
Hours after Ansari’s statement, MLA Gulmarg, M Abass Wani said that he stands shoulder to shoulder with Ansari.
Yesterday, PDP’s Zadibal MLA, Abid Hussain Ansari, who is the uncle of Imran Ansari, lashed out at former chief minister Mehbooba and “her coterie”, which he identified as Nayeem Akhtar, Peerzada Mansoor and Sartaj Madni and alleged the the party leadership failed the people by indulging in favouritism and nepotism.
Today, the former minister, Imran Ansari said that Mehbooba not only failed the PDP as a party, but also knocked down the hopes and the dreams of her own father and the PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that he had envisaged while founding the party. He added that blaming BJP for pulling the government down only for the sake of power was rubbish and said that it was instead Mehbooba’s failure to lead the government efficiently.
He said that BJP supported the coalition government wholeheartedly and it was because of their endeavors that such a huge chunk of money was released to state for various developmental activities.
“However, Mehbooba’s ‘incompetence’ as a leader resulted in the failure of the government machinery,” Ansari said, adding, PDP and the government had off late been reduced to a family opera where the brothers, the uncles, the aunties and other relatives would play protagonist and to continue with such a party was not only useless but a humiliation too.
The former IT minister said that he has now decided to distance himself from the party’s top leadership where the opinion of the senior leaders doesn’t carry any meaning. He however added that he has not resigned as a legislator or from the basic membership of the party as of now, but clarified that the party has lost its essence and being called the leader of such a party was itself meaningless.
Hours after Imran Ansari’s statement, PDP MLA from Gulmarg Mohammad Abass Wani said that he stands shoulder to shoulder with Imran Ansari.
“I endorse Ansari Sahib’s statement as the party (PDP) has been hijacked by a few and that is not acceptable who have come with a proper peoples’ mandate,” Wani said.
Clarifying that it was not for the first time that he publicly said that PDP was losing its plot, Wani said: “In the last assembly session, I raised the issue on the floor of the House that party MLAs were not being listened to, but nobody listened to. May be my party didn’t see me as an ‘influential member’.”
Claiming that Imran Ansari helped PDP win many seats in previous assembly election and no one from party’s top brass acknowledged his contribution, said, “I am ready for fresh elections and will go wherever Imran Sahib goes.”
