Many leaders pin hopes on ex-Dy CM
Avtar Bhat
Jammu, Feb 24: Amid speculations of new political alignments taking place in Jammu and Kashmir post conversion of J&K State into two UTs, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron and former Deputy Chief Minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh is likely to join hands with his former party colleague and former Finance Minister, Syed Altaf Bukhari to form a new political alignment.
According to sources, the two leaders who had earlier held couple of meetings in this regard have also reportedly met again last night in Srinagar to finalise the terms and conditions ahead of their formal union.
Sources privy to the developments regarding the new political developments taking place in UT said, that Bukhari dropped at Beigh’s Kralsangri residence in Srinagar late Sunday evening and had closed door discussions with the former Deputy CM over the new party formation and other issues. Pertinently this was third such meeting between the two in last fortnight, sources added.
Bukhari had earlier dropped at Beigh’s residence in Sidhra, Jammu earlier this month giving enough hints of the two joining hands after their differences with PDP leadership. The two had again reportedly met in Delhi afterwards before meeting here on Sunday.
Though there hasn’t been any official word from either of the two leaders with regard to this, the sources, however, maintained that both may arrive at a final decision in the couple of days, before moving ahead with the party formation.
Pertinently Beigh reached Srinagar Sunday afternoon whereas Bukhari had been camping in Srinagar for the last couple of days.
Sources said that nearly half a dozen political leaders including former Ministers and legislators from National Conference, PDP, Congress and other parties held many rounds of secret discussions with PDP patron Muzaffar Hussain Beigh during his recent stay in Jammu on the prevailing political scenario and expressed confidence on the initiatives taken by him. They also assured full support to him in this regard, sources added.
A senior leader who met Beigh said on the condition of anonymity that he and many others were willing to walk over to his ( Beigh’s) camp in the coming days . He said the purpose of the meeting with him was to understand the role of the former Deputy Chief Minister in the current political initiatives, so that he and many others are able to make up their mind regarding joining the new camp to play a positive and crucial role in brining J&K out of 30 year long uncertainty and turmoil.
Meanwhile many other political leaders, businessmen, lawyers, members of civil society and people associated with other walks of life have met Beigh urging him to take initiatives in bringing political stability in the UT. Sources said they assured full support to Beigh and added that their support was always for him and his team.
They stressed that supporting Beigh would be akin to supporting an “ idea” rather than an “ individual” aiming to bring J&K again on the track of peace, prosperity and stability. Sources said fed up with 30 year long bloodshed and uncertainty people see a ray of hope in the leadership of Beigh who has always remained a non controversial leader whom people of UT can trust for a better future.
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