Will try to fix cracks in Gupkar: Tarigami

Jammu, March 11

Days after rift within the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was left wide open when Peoples Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference Omar Abdullah criticised each other, senior leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist) MY Tarigami said that he will try to undo the cracks in the alliance.

The PAGD — an amalgam of seven parties, including the NC and the PDP — was formed in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution by the Centre in August 2109. CPI (M) is also a part of the alliance of this Kashmir-based parties.

Mufti and Abdullah had criticised each other’s party over seat sharing in J&K. Tarigami, during a press briefing in Srinagar, said, “The emergence of PAGD was due to a crisis which still exists. There have been differences between the constituents recently which are out in public. I will still try to mend the gaps that have emerged”.

The National Conference has refused to give up any of the three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir because it had won these in the 2019 general elections. The PDP has taken offence over the NC taking a unilateral decision without consulting the PAGD on the matter.

Tarigami, who is also the spokesperson of PAGD, said that the alliance had a seat-sharing arrangement for the District Development Council (DDC) polls held in 2020.

Tarigami said the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration was formed for a bigger cause and it was not just an electoral alliance. Question mark was raised on the sustainability of PAGD after two senior leaders of main parties of the alliance criticised each other. — OC

Address issues

I am not here to fix responsibility on who is wrong. In my opinion, it is more important that the issues for which this platform was constituted have not been addressed yet. — MY Tarigami, CPM leader

#Jammu #Mehbooba Mufti #Omar Abdullah