Shah Faesal, Rasheed announce pre-poll alliance in J&K

IAS-turned-politician Shah Faesal and former independent MLA Engineer Rasheed on Tuesday announced a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming legislative assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We have come together at a time when the state is in dire need of revival. We have named our alliance as ‘Peoples United Front’,” Faesal said while addressing a presser in Srinagar.

The 2010 batch UPSC topper, who resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on January 9 this year to protest “unabated killings, absence of credible political initiative from Delhi,” and “rise of Hindutva forces” along with Rasheed also released the ‘Common Agenda for Alliance’ adding anyone who adheres to the agenda is welcome to join the alliance.

While exuding confidence that the coalition will form the next government in the state, the duo promised to do everything to resolve the Kashmir issue in a peaceful manner and provide a corruption-free government, besides fulfilling the 'developmental deficit' in the state.

“Peoples United Front will form the next government in the state. We will be a credible alternative as there is a vacuum in the state that needs to be filled,” Rasheed said.

Rasheed, a two-term legislator, led in five of the 15 assembly segments in the north Kashmir Lok Sabha constituency in the recently concluded general elections. Faesal, who quit IAS in January to join politics, had launched a political party Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement in March this year.

On January 9 this year while quitting his job to protest “unabated killings, absence of credible political initiative from Delhi,” and “rise of Hindutva forces,” Faesal had lashed out at the Centre, accusing it of subverting public institutions like Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).