PDP betrayed workers by boycotting local body polls: Beigh

Founding member of PDP Muzaffar Hussain Beigh Tuesday hit out at his party for boycotting the civic bodies and panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying he will "seriously consider" joining a third front if it emerges.

"The PDP betrayed the workers, denying them a chance to connect with the people, by boycotting the elections. They left a vacuum and that space has now been occupied. Politics does not wait for people who boycott," Beigh told reporters at his residence here.

Beigh, the Lok Sabha member from Baramulla , said he was not consulted when the party took the decision to boycott the local bodies polls.

"I was in Delhi, just a phone call away. I remained quiet because I did not want the PDP to fall asunder," he said.

Reacting to speculations that PDP and arch rival National Conference might join hands to form a government in the state to foil BJP's attempts at government formation, Beigh said the PDP was formed to end the family rule and bring in democracy.

"Now this talk of NC-PDP alliance. How will people of Jammu react? How will people of Ladakh react? It will be an alliance of one religion," he said.

"Jammu would not like it, Ladakh will not remain part of the state. This will lead to trifurcation of the state," he warned.

Responding to the possibility of either NC or PDP getting absolute majority in future assembly elections, he said "It will be foolish of me to think that NC or PDP will ever get a majority. There was a wave in 2014 (assembly elections) and we (PDP) still could not get 30 seats."