The crisis within ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seemed far from over on Monday when its leaders issued controversial statements.
After two rounds of talks with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, aggrieved PDP leader Basharat Bukhari, who had lost the revenue and relief department in the reshuffle, on Monday withdrew his resignation.
“Yes, I have taken the charge of the Horticulture Ministry. I identified the issues that are disturbing the party cadres at the ground and middle level. I was told these things would be set right,” Mr. Bukhari said.
He along with Imran Raza Ansari, holding State Sports Ministry, resigned from the Ms. Mufti’s Cabinet last week. Both were miffed at the new portfolio allocation. After the crisis, many disgruntled leaders have gone public to express their disenchantment. “If the PDP is decimated in the coming elections, the reason will be two leaders close to Ms. Mufti,” said PDP legislator Abid Hussain Ansari.
Defending the Chief Minister’s decision to reshuffle portfolios, PDP MLA Javaid Beigh said, “The distribution and allocation of portfolios is the prerogative of the Chief Minister and a party legislator is bound to follow the directions of the Chief Minister.”
