President of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday that the alliance will fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
His statement came during a video message asking people of Jammu and Kashmir to vote for the alliance candidates in the District Development Council (DDC) council polls .
The PAGD also released the sixth list of its candidates for the District Development Council (DDC) council polls which will be held in eight phases from November 28.
Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah both are in isolation after one of their staff members tested positive for Covid-19.
In a fervent appeal released on the Twitter handle of PAGD and later shared by leaders of other constituents of the alliance, Farooq Abdullah asked people to come out in large numbers and vote during DDC polls.
“The bugle for the election has been sounded and it is my fervent appeal that you should come out in large numbers and vote for the PAGD candidates. The alliance has been formed to defend our identity and get back Articles 370 and 35A that had been snatched from us,” Abdullah said.
He asked people to vote only for the alliance candidates. “Many people who are contesting these polls, falsely claim that they represent alliance while they are enemies of the alliance so people should only vote for alliance candidates.”
Omar Abdullah also endorsed the message.
“Dr Farooq Abdullah has recorded an appeal asking voters to support @JKPAGD candidates in the upcoming DDC polls in J&K. He looks forward to campaigning once the period of self-isolation ends,” tweeted Omar while posting his father’s video.
PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti also posted the video and once again accused the government of creating hurdles for alliance candidates.
Farooq Abdullah also released the sixth list of candidates comprising 13 names belonging to different constituents of the PAGD. In the latest list, the maximum candidates are from the National Conference.
Of the 13 DDC seats across Kashmir, the NC will be contesting on eight seats, the PDP on three seats and the Awami National Conference and the Peoples Conference will be contesting on one each seat.
The PAGD candidates would be contesting on the symbols of their respective parties they belong to. So far, PAGD has released the names of 117 candidates for the DDC polls in Kashmir.
Union home minister Amit Shah last week in a scathing criticism of the PAGD termed its constituents as the “Gupkar Gang” that wants to take away the rights of Dalits, women and tribals that the Centre ensured by removing Article 370, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state, and dared Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi to clear the air on whether their party is backing the alliance.
His remarks triggered a sharp response from the coalition.
The PAGD leadership said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre was trying to delegitimise a coalition that is taking part in a democratic process.
The six parties, including regional powerhouses National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have announced that they will fight the upcoming district development council (DDC) elections in J&K under the PAGD umbrella.
