Apni Party VP Zafar Manhas, PDP Spokesperson Suhail Bukhari, Quit, Haq Khan Rejoins
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, August 20: Ahead of the much-anticipated Assembly Elections, the dates for which were announced after 10 years recenlty by the election commissioner of India, Kashmir’s politics has set a new stage where the rejoining of leaders and resignations have been on the rise in recent days.
While the local political parties are gearing up for the assembly elections, the leaders leaving their parties sets a different stage. However, the strength of the parties is increasing on one side, as they are facing some significant challenges on the other side.
The homecoming of former minister Taj Mohiuddin to the Congress party is not slowing down the momentum since then the pace is on.
With latest political development several parties including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and Apni Party faced a jolt on Tuesday when the key leaders announced their resignation from the respective parties.
Zafar Iqbal Manhas, Vice President of Apni Party, and his son have resigned from the party and are expected to join the Congress on Wednesday.
Manhas confirmed his resignation but indicated that the next steps will depend on feedback from his workers.
Sources suggest that Manhas will formally join Congress in the presence of senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
Manhas, a founding member of the Apni Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been a notable figure in regional politics, with his son Irfan Manhas serving as Vice Chairperson of the DDC Council in Shopian.
Amidst this development, prominent Pahari leader Abdul Haq Khan rejoined the PDP on Tuesday, but soon after his joining, PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari resigned from the party.
Party President Mehbooba Mufti has confirmed the rejoining of Pahari leader to Kashmir Despatch and said that Haq Khan, who had previously distanced himself from the PDP, has once again taken up the responsibility of the party.
Meanwhile, the rejoining of the former lawmaker, taking a U-turn in the party, was followed by the announcement of the resignation of the PDP’s chief spokesperson, Suhail Bukhari.
Speaking to Kashmir Despatch, Suhail Bukhari said that the core principles of the PDP are no longer there.
Targeting the party’s top leadership, Suhail said that the party has forgotten the contribution of the workers and well-wishers who stood by the party during tough times and faced hardships, and now greetings are being given to those who not only abandoned the party in its difficult times but also caused damage to it.
Suhail Bukhari emphasized that he cannot tolerate the favoritism that is happening in the party, where the youth who faced challenges and stood by the party and the party president are being overlooked, and this has forced him to resign from the party.
On the other hand, the Apni Party is continuing its struggle, and back-to-back leaders are resigning from the party.
From vice presidents to senior leaders, some have been leaving the party recently, and this trend does not seem to be stopping.
A few days ago, Apni Party’s Bandipora leader, Usman Majid, also left the party, leveling serious allegations that Apni Party is a proxy of the BJP.
A political expert, while speaking to Kashmir Despatch, said that the Apni Party is facing a significant setback, and the continuous exodus of leaders will pose significant challenges in the coming days.
The Apni Party will face a major challenge in the upcoming assembly elections. Now, it remains to be seen where it can stand during this difficult time.
The question now is whether the Apni Party can position itself in the upcoming Assembly elections amid this continuous struggle.
Pertinently, the Apni Party had fielded its candidates in two Lok Sabha seats, Srinagar and Rajouri-Anantnag, but faced a difficult situation in both constituencies.
