Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 30: Anticipating trifurcation of People’s Democratic Party ahead of 2014 elections, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana on Wednesday said that the process has already begun with its senior functionaries deserting the party as was predicted by him a year back.
“PDP is suffering from crisis of faith with its patron publicly sending wavering signals”, Mr Rana said at a function held at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan this afternoon to welcome new entrants from Bajalta area into the party fold.
“Mufti is a classic case of political opportunism, who feels proud in tracing his roots to Congress, proclaims having liking for Bharatiya Janata Party and pretending to be the Messiah of the people of Kashmir”, Mr Rana said, adding that the inherent contradictions, duplicity and allegiance to multiple power centres has exposed the PDP leadership.
The Provincial President said a group of over half a dozen disillusioned legislators is waiting in wings to bid adieu to PDP to complete the final stage of desertion which will come ahead of the Assembly elections.
The Provincial President described PDP as a bubble of water that takes no time in getting vanished. Amid applause by the party workers, he declared that the PDP leadership is expediting this process and the day is not far when the party will disappear from the political scape of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Rana, however, expressed concern over the emergence of fascist forces across the country and said this is a bad omen for the unity and secular ethos of the nation. “The giant of communalism is raising its ugly head and if it is not fought politically and unitedly by the secular forces, it will spread tentacles in the length and breadth of the country”, he said and urged the people to strengthen secular and democratic forces to retain the unique grandeur of the country.
In an oblique reference to those who claim and forecast their emergence as largest group in forthcoming Assembly elections, Rana said that undermining the strength of National Conference amounts to political naivety. “National Conference was, is and will continue to be the premier party of Jammu and Kashmir at the strength of its committed cadre and presence in all the three regions of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh”, he said, adding that it is not just a political party but a mass movement that has worked tirelessly for the single entity, prosperity and progress of the State.
“Like Kashmir, we will triumph in Jammu and Ladakh regions as well in the ensuing elections and establish the supremacy the party of Sher-e-Kashmir is known for,” the Provincial President said, adding that the report card of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is key to steering to mammoth victory for years to come.
Provincial President National Conference Women Wing Vijay Laxmi Dutta, MLA Bimla Luthra, Provincial Secretary Sheikh Bashir Ahmed and the leader of the group of women who joined National Conference Razia Begum also spoke on the occasion.