SRINAGAR: The ranks of disgruntled PDP legislators is swelling as another dissident lawmaker revolted against party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
PDP MLA from Baramulla Javaid Hassan Baig today blamed the party leadership for not giving due respect to the legislators. "What will a person do if you are disrespected and your views are not taken into account? What will you do when you find your stranger in a party with which you are associated for 20 years," he said. Baig claimed that he always considered himself as a suspended MLA of PDP.
"How can I leave the party when I was never part of it? For the party, I never mattered and I am independent to take any decision," he said. Baig is the 4th PDP legislator to openly revolt against the party president Mehboboa Mufti after fall of PDP-BJP coalition government on June 19 following the withdrawal of support by the saffron party citing deteriorating law and order and security situation.
His younger brother Muzaffar Hussain Baig is PDP MP from Baramulla-Kupwara Lok Sabha seat. Sources said more disgruntled PDP MLAs may join the "dissident group" of legislators in the coming days. Earlier, two sitting Shia MLAs Abid Hussain Ansari and his nephew Imran Hussain Ansari and another MLA from Tangmarg Mohammad Abbas Wani revolted against Mehbooba saying she with ill-treating MLAs and had turned the party into 'Family Democratic Party'.
The rebellion by disgruntled PDP MLAs has given rise to speculation that the group of disgruntled legislators, who are said to over a dozen in number, may join hands with BJP to against form government in the State, which is presently under Governor's rule.
It is speculated that the government formation would take place after completion of Amarnath yatra, which ends on August 26. The BJP has kept the option of again forming the "popular government" in the State open by saying it would think over it once the ground situation improves in the Valley. The Congress and National Conference have ruled out supporting any effort on government formation in the State and called for the dissolution of Legislative Assembly and holding of fresh polls.