Former Bandipora MLC Yasir Reshi follows suit

Srinagar: In a big setback to People’s Democratic Party (PDP), two leaders including former Member of Legislative Council (MLC) and senior politician Khursheed Alam bid adieu to the party on Sunday, with Alam expressing suffocation at the party’s internal matters and strategy.
Following suit, another former MLC of PDP, Yasir Reshi, formally resigned from the party. Yasir, a party leader from Bandipora district of north Kashmir, sent his resignation to the party formally after nearly two years of hostility with the leadership of the party.
Alam, who was a prominent face of PDP in Srinagar city, said there were two major reasons behind his leaving the party: first, the approach of the party towards its internal matters, and second, the strategy on moving forward.
“I personally felt suffocated and hurt after looking at the approach of party towards internal matters and the strategy which was being followed by the party. My disagreements with the party stemmed out of these two factors and ended up in my resignation. The things which were required to rejuvenate the party were not given due attention while important discussions which were in the larger interest of party had also gone for a toss,” Alam said while talking to reporters in Srinagar.
He added that the party lacked political vision and strategy, citing an example of a veteran PDP leader from Jammu who recently resigned from the party. “I was deeply disturbed with the political vision of party and its strategy. The party’s general secretary in Jammu who had been associated with the party since 2005 had to finally quit after these long years of association due to similar reasons,” Alam said.
Expressing his disappointment over the functioning of the party, Alam alleged that he was ignored in the decisions of the party and his suggestions brushed aside. “I was a senior leader in the party; I won’t say by mind but by age. Despite this, I was never consulted in the affairs of the party nor anyone would seek my suggestions on important matters. Ultimately, I realised that my party doesn’t need me anymore and I left,” he said.
“I’m not happy. I’m leaving the party with a heavy heart and utmost sadness. It’s no less than a compulsion to leave when there’s no respect and value for oneself. I’m highly thankful to Mehbooba Mufti and other party colleagues, I wish them luck,” Alam added.
When asked about his further course of action, he said he will make an announcement soon after holding deliberations with colleagues, workers and locals whom he called as “companions”.
Pertinently, Aalam was named in the PDP’s 15-member political affairs committee constituted only last week.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been in major trouble, having lost a number of its leaders both in the top as well as lower rungs.

KALEEM GEELANI