The Jammu Kashmir People’s Democratic Party was formed in 1999 and in 2002, it secured the significant majority in Assembly Elections to form the government in alliance with Congress. It emerged as an alternative political force to a traditional National Conference which until then remained an undefeated political party. People had no choice or little options over the JKNC and relied on PDP as a fresh breath in choked political space.
Its founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed set a distinct political narrative, promised jobs, good governance and Confidence Building Measures to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan and stressed for People to People contact between the two sides of Kashmir. People endorsed the narrative and his chosen team as its founding members including Muzzafar Hussain Baig, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Qazi Afzal, Tariq Hamid Karra and many others were seasoned politicians who managed to break the traditional clout of NC.
PDP grew in numbers and influence and people accepted it for a long time until it broke away after Mufti Muhammad Sayyed decided to retain the control of the party within the family and projected his daughter Mehbooba Mufti as successor. The rebellion grew and one by one its organizational base eroded after they left the party. While the party blamed the agencies in New Delhi for the departure of its leaders stating that New Delhi is not willing to see PDP emerging as a strong and stable political party, Sayyed, however, a seasoned politician, managed to bring yet another group of powerful political leaders in its party fold.
Those who joined the party and emerged as its strong leaders include Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Haseeb Drabu, Peer Mansoor, Yasir Reshi, Javaid Baig, Dilawar Mir and some others. But this team yet again left the party within a few years after they accused the party high command of ignoring them in the decision-making process. It is believed that Mehbooba, like her father too, wants the control of the party within herself and decided to choose her daughter as the party successor.
It doesn’t end here. She even feels insecure all the time and believes her party can be toppled by anyone who grows in influence and power within the organizational structure. She believes in no democracy and makes all efforts to retain the control of organization whichever means she can do. Over the years, instead of expanding its base, the party has lost its ground and, in every election, new faces are introduced instead offering opportunity to its grassroot workers.
Dynastic politics by and large has the same issues everywhere in the sub-continent but PDP is a different and exception where not only the high command feels uncomfortable in sharing a table for decision making but also doesn’t want its workers to grow beyond a line. Recently, it suffered yet another setback after a spree of resignations from its youth leadership who kept the party afloat during the toughest times in 2019.
They were ignored, uncounted and disrespected while choosing the candidates for the mandate. None among those who worked on the front line got a mandate and were forced to quit the party. This is certainly not helping PDP. This political enterprise with such tactics may remain in the control of Mehbooba and her family but it won’t grow and may continue to decline in its popularity and trust among the general masses.
