New J&K govt soon? PDP rebel claims support of 51 MLAs

Claiming to end current uncertainty, rebel PDP MLA Abdul Majeed Padder on Saturday said they have the support of 51 lawmakers in the 87 member Legislative Assembly to form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Rest assured, don’t worry about the numbers. We have more numbers than required. You need 44 members and we have 51 members. There is no problem as far as numbers are concerned. You will soon get to know how much numbers we have”, said Padder, who is PDP MLA from Noorabad constituency in the Kulgam district of south Kashmir.

Padder was among the five lawmakers -- three MLAs and two MLCs—who held a news conference on Friday and called their faction as 'the real' People's Democratic Party (PDP), and asserted that they have lost confidence in the leadership of Mehbooba Mufti.

In the 87-member legislative assembly, the political formation needs 44 members for simple majority to form the government. PDP is the single largest party with 28 members followed by BJP with 25 MLAs. National Conference has 15 and Congress 12 members in the House. Former separatist leader Sajad Lone led People's Conference has two MLAs in the House. CPIM and PDF have one member each. Rest are the independents.

“We want to give good government to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and pull the state out of this quagmire. We want all like-minded people to join in. It is not only the PDP but it could be from Congress and even BJP. BJP too have been elected. People have given the vote for development. We want to give people government for another three years”, said Padder.

Rebel PDP member noted that there is no third front and they are the first front. “We are not in hiding. We have come in open. It is the first front. We have told you that the people have given us mandate for six years. We have been elected for six years. But unfortunately, we have not delivered in the last three years”, he said.

To draw his point home that they were not in touch with any leader in New Delhi, he said they are not living in Bangalore or hiding in five star hotels.

“We are living in J&K --in our homes. Nether any leader from Delhi did come to meet us nor did we go to meet them. Neither anybody talked to us nor did we talk to anyone. Article 370 is a sacred constitution and we will not comprise on it at any cost. Even if it means to lay down our lives for its safeguard”, he said

Listing the issues that the new government wants to focus on, he said unemployment is the big issue besides the political issue of Jammu and Kashmir which needs resolution.  “Our leader (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) joined hands with BJP for the development of J&K. We have problems of unemployment. We want popular government. There should be talks to take J&k out of this current turmoil.  We want government to be formed”, he said.