Jammu & Kashmir: Altaf Bukhari unanimously elected as president, hours before party launch

Politics in the former state and the newly carved Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been fast changing before and after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019. With three main leaders Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under detention, Altaf Bukhari is trying to provide Kashmir a political alternative.

Altaf Bukhari is scheduled to launch his own party at Srinagar on Sunday and hours before the launch of the first political party of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, he has unanimously been elected as the president of his party.

A senior leader, privy to the developments, told Republic that a meeting was held in which Altaf Bukhari was unanimously elected as president of the new party. Altaf’s name was proposed by former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir and seconded by Vijay Bakaya and other former legislators.

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Politicians part ways from Congress

The majority of senior leaders in the new camp of Altaf Bukhari are from the Congress and have paved their way away from Congress citing reasons for neglecting public issues and party’s strategy after the Abrogation of Article 370.

On February 23, Former legislator from Bandipora Usman Majid resigned from the Congress party, alleging that his party is behind the sufferings of Kashmir people.

"It's because of this party that people have been suffering here from the last seven decades”.

In another setback to Congress, three more leaders of Congress resigned from the party hours before the launch of former PDP minister Syed Altaf Bukhari’s Party. Former minister and Samba District President Congress Manjit Singh and Jammu district Congress president and General Secretary Vikram Malhotra resigned from Congress with a two-liner resignation to Party Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir.

READ | PDP Leader Ashraf Mir Resigns To Join Bukhari-led Party

More Congress leaders likely to quit the party

Both the leaders while speaking to the Republic over the phone showed a soft corner towards Altaf Bukhari’s party and even hinted that more leaders from Congress are likely to take the same path. Congress Srinagar District President Irfan Naqeeb also resigned from Party.

Hitting out at its own Cadre, Congress in its statement said,” Cautioning the people and party cadres about few leaders finding short cuts and changing their loyalty in search of better opportunities for their career in politics, Congress workers are the real strength of the party, who always steered clear the party at the time of need during its long history.

READ | Congress Gen Secy, Former Minister Resign, Say 'talks On With Altaf Bukhari Group'

Entire rank and file of the party is together and united to face future challenges before the people of Jammu and Kashmir who are passing through a worst time for the reasons of arbitrary disbanding and downgrading of the historic state into UT and removal of special rights of locals to land and jobs to youth of Jammu and Kashmir.”

READ | BIG: Ex-PDP Minister Altaf Bukhari-led Third Front Named 'Apni Party' To Launch On Mar 8