Days after her re-election as PDP President for the sixth consecutive term, Chief Minster Mehbooba Mufti has announced re-structuring of the party. She has also decided to make some amendments in the party constitution. Mehbooba has assigned the work to senior Party leader and Parliament member from North Kashmir Muzaffer Hussain Beigh who would head the committee that would submit suggestions to her, regarding the possible changes in the party constitution. While confirming the development, Muzaffer Beigh told KNS that Mehbooba Mufti had spoken to him before her re-election as Party President regarding the same. He said even during the meeting itself he had in his speech urged for unity within the party so that the party is re-energized and strengthened more as a unit which he said, was not only the need of the hour but also the wish of Party workers.
“During my speech, I stressed for unity as I had been getting inputs that everything was not well in the party and many ministers were not even in talking terms with each other.” Beigh told KNS, adding that the situation was disturbing for the party as well as for workers who have sacrificed everything for this Party. Beigh said that since he was one of the founder members of the party therefore he was duty bound to point out the weaknesses and strengths of the party so that the president and the workers are not misled. The Parliamentarian said, “I began my speech with a very lighter note so that some humor is brought in the meeting, but what I said was in no way a casual thing. I said that there is a perception that everything is not going well in the party as many ministers are not even in talking terms with each other. We have three ministers in the cabinet who are relatives to each other and the surprising thing is that they are not talking to each other,” said Beigh, adding that even workers told him that if they go to one minster, the other gets annoyed. The former Deputy Chief Minster said that he had requested one of the senior ministers among the three to take a lead in making efforts for reconciliation. Beigh also told KNS that even a minster in his speech had claimed that PDP would win more seats than 2014 elections which needed to be rebutted so that Party President was not misled.
“I told him that Why should we exaggerate the things. Can’t we be realistic so that nobody is misled and we get time to correct ourselves,?” said Beigh.
He however, emphatically rejected the rumours spread by vested interests that he insulted or ridiculed any minster. He said that he respects everyone in the party but he does offer his advice without any malice or anger to everyone even including the chief minister.
While admitting that PDP’s popularity graph had gone down, PDP senior leader said that he has suggested a robust and strong team of leaders who would counter the wrong perception among the people and at the same time would propagate the achievements of the government and the Party.
“Sometimes the negativity of the perception causes more damage than the actual failures in the governance. We are lacking that skill. I suggested a team of leaders should be tasked to remove the misperception pertaining to governance, and help the government in propagating the positive aspect of governance.” Beigh hoped that party regains the popularity it enjoyed during the times of Mufti led government in 2002. (KNS