J&K ex-Dy CM Muzaffar Hussain Baig, wife Safina rejoin PDP

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, January 7

Former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig and his wife, Safina Baig, rejoined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the seventh death anniversary of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Sunday.

Before paying homage to the late Mufti, Baig said that no one had left the PDP and there were merely “some misunderstandings”. Speaking at Mufti’s graveside, Baig praised him as one of the greatest leaders in the country.

In the previous Assembly poll, the PDP was the largest party in Jammu and Kashmir with 28 MLAs. However, following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and Mehbooba Mufti’s 15-month detention, several former MLAs and ministers, including Baig, had left the party.

Some of the former PDP leaders had formed a separate entity called Apni Party. The exodus from the PDP had started in March 2020, with senior leaders and former ministers like Chaudhary Zulfikar, Ashraf Mir, Dilwar Mir, Rafi Mir and others joining the Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party.

Bukhari had previously served as Finance Minister in the PDP-BJP government. In March 2020, Apni Party leaders had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, hinting that they were in fact the new players in J&K.

Baig (77) had been affiliated with the PDP since 1998 but disassociated himself from the party after the abrogation of Article 370. In January 2020, six months after the abrogation of the Article, Baig was awarded the Padma Bhushan while most other PDP leaders were detained.

In November 2019, Baig was among three Valley-based politicians, including Altaf Bukhari and Usman Majid, who had met the members of a European delegation in Delhi prior to its visit to Kashmir.

Baig subsequently proposed to move “beyond Article 370”, asking political parties in Kashmir to set aside their differences and collectively address Jammu and Kashmir’s concerns with the Center. He even advocated for pursuing restoration of the statehood and to push for bringing Jammu and Kashmir under the purview of Article 371.

Awarded Padma Bhushan

• In January 2020, six months after the abrogation of Article 370, Muzaffar Hussain Baig was awarded the Padma Bhushan, while most other PDP leaders remained detained
• In November 2019, he was among three Valley-based politicians who had met the members of a European delegation in Delhi prior to their visit to Kashmir
• Baig subsequently proposed to move “beyond Article 370”, asking political parties to set aside their differences and collectively address J&K’s concerns with the Centre

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