Won’t contest in elections till special status of J&K is restored: Mehbooba Mufti

Despite her party participating in the recently concluded DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir, regional PDP president and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, Wednesday said she won’t contest any election till the special status of the erstwhile state was not restored.

“When it comes to assembly polls, I will not fight any elections until and unless Jammu and Kashmir's own constitution is brought back, until Article 370 is restored,” she told a New Delhi based news channel.

Read: Won’t bow before anyone except Allah, says Farooq Abdullah after victory in DDC polls

Mehbooba’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) contested the just concluded district development council (DDC) polls, under the banner of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Deceleration (PAGD) – a seven-party alliance formed on October 15 to work towards restoring the special status of J&K under Article 370 which was revoked last August. The PAGD consists of PDP’s arch-rival National Conference.

She said they (PDP and NC) have been rivals “but for the larger cause of J&K we can all get together.”

“We are Kashmiris at the end of the day. We are not talking only about elections but for the larger cause of restoring what was lost,” she said.

Asked whether they would contest Assembly polls, which are long due in J&K, in the alliance, Mehbooba responded: “Whenever assembly polls are held we will sit together and discuss (on Chief Ministership). I am not in the race.”

However, she said, would not contest any election until special status was restored under Article 370.

The PDP chief is scheduled to address a press conference at her official ‘Fairview residence’ on posh Gupkar road, here, in the evening.