As the highly anticipated Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections draw near, scheduled to begin in less than a month, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti is facing an unexpected backlash from her long-time loyalists. The source of the discontent lies in Mehbooba’s decision to nominate her 37-year-old daughter, Iltija Mufti, as the candidate for the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency in the upcoming polls.
Mufti Bastion: A Seat Steeped in Family Legacy
Srigufwara-Bijbehara, known simply as Bijbehara before the 2023 delimitation exercise, is located in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir. The area has been historically significant for the Mufti family, often regarded as a stronghold or “family bastion.” The late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, founder of the PDP and Mehbooba Mufti’s father, first won the seat in 1967 as a Congress candidate. The family’s deep roots in the region were further entrenched when Mehbooba Mufti claimed victory in the same constituency in 1996.
The Mufti family’s connection to the area runs even deeper, with Iltija’s father, Javid Shah, also hailing from the region. Over the years, the seat has been closely associated with the PDP, particularly under the leadership of Abdul Rehman Veeri, who held the seat from 1999 to 2018 and served as a minister in successive Mufti governments.
Internal Party Tensions: Veeri’s Independent Run
The decision to field Iltija Mufti in the upcoming elections has not been without controversy. Abdul Rehman Veeri, who was offered a ticket to contest from the Anantnag East constituency, has expressed dissatisfaction with the move. Reports suggest that Veeri is considering running as an independent candidate from Srigufwara-Bijbehara instead, a move that could significantly complicate matters for the PDP.
A source close to the party revealed, “Since this will be Iltija’s first election, Mehbooba is keen to secure a safe constituency for her. But Veeri could complicate matters if he decides to file his nomination for that constituency instead of the one assigned to him, as he enjoys considerable support among Bijbehara’s voters.”
More Read
This potential challenge from Veeri has amplified existing tensions within the PDP, as several other members have also expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s candidate selection process.
Rising Discontent: Resignations and Defections
The backlash against Mehbooba Mufti’s decision is not limited to the Srigufwara-Bijbehara seat. In a significant development, senior PDP figure Suhail Bukhari resigned after the ticket for the Sangrama constituency in north Kashmir was awarded to Basharat Bukhari. Basharat Bukhari had previously deserted the PDP in 2019 to join the National Conference (NC), only to briefly switch to Sajad Gani Lone’s Peoples Conference before returning to the PDP earlier this year. Despite his turbulent political affiliations, the PDP decided to field Basharat Bukhari, as he had previously represented the constituency twice. However, this decision has not been well-received by long-standing party members, leading to growing discontent within the ranks.
Further exacerbating the situation, several PDP members, including former MLA Ajaz Mir, have defected to the Awami Itehad Party (AIP), led by Baramulla’s independent MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as Engineer Rashid. Despite being arrested in 2019 on terrorism-funding charges and currently imprisoned in New Delhi’s Tihar jail, Rashid’s party has been gaining support from disillusioned politicians ahead of the elections.
Iltija Mufti’s Political Debut
Iltija Mufti, a political science graduate from Delhi University with a master’s degree in international relations from Warwick University in England, entered active politics following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. During her mother’s house arrest, she served as the party’s spokesperson and later campaigned extensively for Mehbooba in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Despite her efforts, Mehbooba lost to National Conference’s Mian Altaf.
In the upcoming assembly elections, Mehbooba Mufti has decided not to participate, citing her stance on Article 370 and the reversion of Jammu and Kashmir to statehood. However, her decision to field Iltija in the Mufti family’s traditional bastion has sparked significant internal party conflict, leaving the PDP’s prospects in the upcoming elections uncertain.
