PDP to launch membership drive, rejuvenate party

More than a month after the demise of its founder-patron Mufti Sayeed, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today announced plans to "rejuvenate" party activities and expand it base in Jammu and Kashmir with a membership drive starting this weekend.
The campaign will be launched with a workers' convention be held on February 21 at party headquarters in Srinagar, a PDP statement said, adding it will be attended by party president Mehbooba Mufti and senior leaders like general secretaries and chief spokesman.
The convention would throw open the membership drive in the state with an objective to expand the party base, it said.

The move to expand party base and "rejuvenate" its activities comes more than a month after Sayeed's sudden demise on January 7 and the virtual freeze on party activities subsequently.
The move also comes at a time when the party, which ran a coalition government with BJP for 10 months before Sayeed's death, is negotiating hard with the ally before forming the new government with it in the state.
The PDP said the party district president Srinagar and MLC Mohammad Khurshid Aalam chaired a meeting at party headquarters here which was attended among others by former ministers, legislators and prominent leaders.

"All leaders exuded confidence that convention at Srinagar will give the desired fillip to party activity and will take the party's message to grassroots," the statement said.
The PDP said the leaders unanimously focused on how the party agenda, in tune with the party founder and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's vision, can be accomplished to the satisfaction of people at large.
"The leaders reiterated their commitment and resolve to undertake every desirable activity under the leadership of Mehbooba and hoped that her dynamism and courage will stay as an inspiration to sustain the prominence of the party as the most viable political alternative in Jammu and Kashmir," the release said.