Gupkar alliance formed to safeguard interests of J-K residents: Mehbooba

Mehbooba Mufti said People's Alliance for Gupkar Declarationwas formed solely to safeguard the identity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was formed solely to safeguard the identity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the alliance parties have a bigger cause to fight for than bicker over DDC elections.

Mehbooba's remarks came as the alliance partners are currently engaged in consultations on seat-sharing for the District Development Council (DDC) polls. The alliance has announced the seat-sharing list for the first phase of the polls. The National Conference (NC) will contest on 21 seats out of 27, while the PDP will fight four and the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) two seats, respectively.

The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said to assume the PAGD -- an alliance of several political parties seeking the restoration of the erstwhile state's special status -- was created for petty electoral gains or to further party interests is erroneous.

PAGD was formed solely to safeguard the identity of people of J&K that's been under constant attack since Aug 2019. To assume it was created for petty electoral gains or to further party interests is erroneous. We have a bigger cause to fight for than bicker over DDC elections, Mehbooba said on Twitter.

Mehbooba is the vice-chairman of the alliance, which is led by NC president Farooq Abdullah.

Reacting to Mehbooba's tweet, JKPC chairman Sajad Lone, whose party is also part of the alliance, said, I agree with every word and would further add that the reality as it exists is that statesmanship and magnanimity is still a missing trait in our polity. And the absence is being felt more than any other time.