DNA Edit: Threatening BJP won’t solve Mehbooba Mufti’s problems

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti seems to have made things worse for herself. The senior Kashmiri leader who is already on shaky ground has accused the Centre of ‘engineering’ a split within her party and claimed that such a split could have ‘dangerous consequences’ for the Valley. Referring to 1987, she said that if Delhi tried to interfere in the internal workings of the PDP, other Salahuddins and Yasin Maliks could very well come up. 

Senior political leaders in the Valley have pointed out that not only was this a dangerous and unfounded charge for Mufti to make but it also showed her increasing desperation to cling on to power at any cost. Also, Mufti’s bid to blame the Centre for what is going wrong in her party is misplaced. Corruption charges levelled against PDP members have been growing by the day and increasing pressure has been put on J&K Governor NN Vohra to probe them. PDP leaders have also been unhappy with Mufti’s ‘autocratic’ style of functioning long before the BJP came into the picture. 

Now, with nothing to show on the development flank and the resentment of Kashmiris against her party reaching a level not seen since the 1990s, Mufti only has herself to blame. Also, things will not get better by attacking both the Centre and rebel leaders. The more she attacks them, the more they will be seen as ‘democratic figures’ challenging the ‘family rule of the Muftis.’ The PDP leader needs to introspect but already it may be too late. If rebel PDP MLA Abdul Majeed Padder is to be believed, 18 PDP MLAs are willing to join the saffron party. What this means is that BJP which has 25 legislators in J&K will be just one short of the magic mark of 44 MLAs in the 87-member House. This they should be able to get. If that does indeed prove possible, Mufti could find herself lost in the political wilderness.