In what could mean end of the road for the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an alliance of mainstream non-BJP parties in Jammu and Kashmir, its main constituent National Conference (NC) on Wednesday signalled that it is ready to contest the Assembly polls alone.The party also denounced “unfair treatment” meted out to it in PAGD and sought “immediate course correction” by the partners.The PAGD, with arch-rivals NC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) playing lead roles, was founded in 2020 to seek restoration of J&K’s special status, abrogated by the Centre on Aug 5, 2019.“The provincial committee members unanimously resolved that JKNC should prepare and fight all 90 Assembly seats,” NC stated in an official release. The development comes weeks after NC chief Farooq Abdullah, who is also PAGD’s president, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, the alliance's vice-president, had separately stated that the alliance will jointly contest the Assembly polls, if and when they take place.Playing down NC's statement today, Mehbooba Mufti told The Indian Express, “We formed this alliance (PAGD) for a larger cause. It (joint elections) was a small part of it. There was a dominant view that we should contest the polls unitedly. If it doesn’t suit them (NC), it is okay.”Former J&K CM and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah, who chaired Wednesday’s meeting in Srinagar, agreed to concerns raised by party leaders and assured them that interests of people and party will be safeguarded.In its statement, NC also took potshots at “some constituents” of PAGD without naming them.“The participants in the meeting expressed dismay over recent statements, audio jingles and speeches made by some constituents of PAGD targeting JKNC. They (NC leaders) felt it does not contribute to overall unity of the amalgam,” the party stated.Sources in NC told The Indian Express that party leaders were referring to, among others, Mehbooba Mufti’s recent comment on 1987 J&K Assembly polls, in which malpractices were alleged and Farooq Abdullah subsequently became the CM. Mufti had remarked, "Sheikh-sahab was dismissed.people lost faith in elections. 1987 was the culmination of all election frauds because of which people of the Valley were forced to pick up weapons and we are still bearing the brunt of that."Besides, NC sources said, some jingles were played during PDP’s foundation day (July 28] that "sought to diss NC". “The PAGD was formed to give direction to our discourse, not for elections," NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said.He said no conversations on contesting polls together were held with PDP at any point. On NC's concern, Mufti said: “I can’t say what they mean by it. But for us, it is a large cause and we stand united on that.”
