Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 2: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti's brother Tasaduq Mufti, who let speculations go wild over his prospective entry into politics following the demise of his father, will be assisting her in the poll campaigning for the Anantnag by-elections, Early Times learnt from reliable sources.
They said Tasaduq in liaison with senior PDP leaders including Dr Mehboob Beg, Mansoor Mir and Rafi Mir, will strategically monitor the campaign and party arrangements at the grassroots.
Sources said Tasaduq has already started getting feedback from the constituency about the upcoming poll battle, where PDP is likely to have a neck-to-neck fight, at least with Congress, which has foothold in south Kashmir.
Insiders said in the wake allegations that some PDP leaders in the past months were planning a coup to form government of their own, when Mehbooba Mufti was yet to finalize pact with Bharatiya Janta Party, the Mufti family wants Tasaduq to be part of the party affairs.
"Mehbooba Ji is over busy with governance so he (Tasaduq) will have to assist her in the campaigning," a senior PDP leader told Early Times.
Sources said though Tasaduq would generally avoid physical presence at the campaigning, he would be tracking each and every development, in the constituency, crucially important for the Mufti family.
Since the death of his father and then Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on January 7, speculations have been rife that Tasaduq will join politics, while the PDP leadership has left the fingers crossed.
Tasaduq, a cinematographer by profession, in the past stayed away from Kashmir and politics, alike. He spent his considerable time in the US and subsequently shifted to Bengalaru. But since Mufti's demise he has been mostly in Kashmir, with his sister Mehbooba.
On January 17, on her instructions, he attended the crucial meeting of PDP leaders held at their Fairview residence to decide the future of government formation with the BJP. Even though Tasaduq didn't speak a word at the meeting, his presence was of significance.
His sister, Mehbooba, who is seeking berth in the Legislative Assembly, on June 1, filed her nomination papers for by-polls to Anantnag constituency slated for 19th of this month.
Mehbooba, currently representing Anantnag (South Kashmir) Parliamentary constituency is contesting from the seat where the by-polls were necessitated following the demise of her father and the then Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on January 7 this year.
The Mufti family has emotional attachment with Anantnag, their hometown. Mehbooba candidly admits this. "Mufti started his political journey from Anantnag district and people here not only understood his vision but also adopted the same and remained with him through thick and thin. So, it was his dream that whenever he gets the chance he will serve this place.
"But unfortunately after being elected as Chief Minister, he did not get much time and that dream ended before it could start. People exhibited their trust in Mufti Sahab and elevated him to become Chief Minister. I am hopeful that people will again repose the trust in him and give me an opportunity to accomplish his dream," she told media persons after filing the nomination papers.
Mehbooba has never lost an Assembly election in her 20 year political career and her only electoral defeat so far came in 1999 Lok Sabha elections when she lost to National Conference leader Omar Abdullah from Srinagar parliamentary constituency.
A total of nine candidates filed nomination papers by the end of the last date for the same. They include Mehbooba Mufti of PDP, Hilal Ahmad Shah of INC, Iftikhar Hussain Misgar of NC and independent contestants Tejinder Singh, Manzoor Ahmad Khan, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Er Abdul Rashid, Masroor Ahmad Mir and Mushtaq Ahmad Shah. |
