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Multiple aspirants may hit PDP’s poll chances
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, March 4
Despite making all efforts to widen its Jammu province, the People’s Democratic Party, considered to be a Kashmir-based party, may not be able to fulfill its poll prospects in these twin border districts. Perhaps it seems that it is already losing on the assembly seats -Darhal, Rajouri and Mendhar- where it is planning to field candidates.

Suffering a major loss, ahead of the Assembly polls slated late in the year, its executive member and a prominent Pahari leader Mohd Iqbal Malik in Darhal Buddal constituency here left the party alleging that important decisions in the organisation were being taken at “individual level” ignoring the aspirations of general masses.

The party is likely to field Chowdhary Zulfikar on the seat and Malik, who has tremendous say among the Paharis, was to play sheet anchor role for the former.

“With the Assembly polls approaching nearer, the style of functioning of the party leadership has gone a sea change as a coterie was influencing the decisions while senior leaders like him were feeling suffocated,” Malik said.

In other seats Rajouri and Mendhar where the PDP is planning to field candidates, projection of more than one candidate from these constituencies may create trouble for the party.

On this assembly seat, which is held by its archrival, the National Conference, the poll prospects of the PDP may suffer a drubbing. Here the former minister Muhammad Sharief Tariq, who had quit the National Conference and joined the PDP and Master Tasaduq Hussain are being projected as the party candidates.

Whereas Muhammad Sharief Tariq is no popular here because of allegations of large-scale corruption, Master Tassaduq Hussain may ultimately get the party’s mandate.