In a strong assertion during an election rally on Wednesday, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti stated that Jammu and Kashmir will never have a BJP government, emphasising that no secular government can be formed without the support of her party.
Mufti expressed her willingness to collaborate in the establishment of any secular government in the region to ensure the BJP remains out of power. “Jammu and Kashmir will never have a BJP government. There will be a secular government in J-K. Whatever government is formed in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP will be an important factor,” Mehbooba Mufti told reporters.
When questioned about potential cooperation with the National Conference for government formation, Mufti reiterated her party’s commitment to keeping the BJP away from power. “The PDP will support the formation of any secular government in Jammu and Kashmir to keep BJP away,” she asserted.
Addressing the BJP’s claim of winning over 50 seats and the possibility of a Chief Minister from the Jammu region, Mufti responded critically.
“They have their own Lieutenant Governor and Prime Minister. What have they done for Jammu all these years? “If they project a Jammu CM as an alternative, they should have appointed a Governor from Jammu. The BJP won’t even cross the 15-seat mark,” she said, PTI reported.
Furthermore, Mufti defended her family against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent criticisms, which labelled the Mufti family as anti-national and implicated them in the rise of terrorism. She highlighted the legacy of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who, she noted, “upheld the Indian flag” during tumultuous times in Kashmir.
Mufti argued that BJP leaders come to the region to criticise her party but have nothing substantial to offer to the people. She questioned their opposition, stating that they were leading against “Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s party, the same man who, since the 1960s, has upheld India’s flag high in Kashmir,” thereby countering the claims of her party’s anti-national stance.
As she campaigned for PDP candidates across Bisnah, R S Pura, and Jammu, Mufti urged voters to view her party as a vital force in preserving the secular fabric of governance in the region.