Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 25: Seeking a clear mandate for his party, former Chief Minister and patron People’s Democratic Party Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today asserted that Lok Sabha and Assembly polls this year would be a unique opportunity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who in past were constantly under the burden of single party dominance.
Addressing a well attended public meeting at Patoli Brahmna, here this afternoon, Mr. Sayeed said that emergence of People’s Democratic Party as a credible alternate provides a unique opportunity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to invest in the vision of development, prosperity and peace. “Earlier it used to be single dominant party, which had developed monopoly and exploited people for its own political and vested interest but today the people have a choice to accept and reject a political party on the basis of performance and vision”, he said.
People, he said, have a clear choice this time as they have report card of each political party before them. “The voting this time will not be influenced by slogans but by hard evident performance by different parties”, he added.
The PDP patron said that people have before them the clear vision and performance of PDP in both Government and in opposition. “PDP had not a long stint in the power but even than the people have before them the non-compromising conduct of the party on corruption, the capacity to govern and implement a vision before them in comparison to the years of mis-governance, corruption, negotism and scams”, he said adding that it will be now the people to chose between the parties, which have the capability and vision.
He said that the state could be poised for a big change on all fronts, if the people give a decisive mandate to PDP. The problems, he said, are common to all the regions and people are suffering equally and time has come when a point of conversion has to be found. Unemployed, power deficit, development deficit, ailing health, dilapidated roads and poverty are the common problems of all the areas, particularly of far-flung and backward areas.
“It is the time when we have to built a new discourse and strive hard together in order to built a prosperous Jammu and Kashmir”, Mr. Sayeed said adding that the state had never any dearth of resources, which could have been utilized to economic and social upliftment.
“During the short period of three years, PDP has set an example of transparent and accountable Government. Multilateral agencies like Asian Development Bank contributed by investing in core development sectors including roads, sewerage and power in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said, adding, “the UPA and NDA Governments equally contributed in the development needs of Jammu and Kashmir as everyone was convinced by the capacity of State Government to deliver on ground”.