While most of the exit poll results declared last week anticipated a hung Assembly for Jammu and Kashmir, there are chances for the revival of the People’s Declaration for Gupkar Alliance (PAGD).
Pollsters have predicted that no political party is likely to secure a clear majority while the NC-Congress alliance has an edge over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the alliance does not seem positioned to form the government on its own. In such a scenario, the non-aligned political parties have started hinting at supporting the NC-Congress-CPIM coalition, signalling a possible revival of the PAGD, an amalgam of six political parties — NC, PDP, CPI, CPI(M) and ANC.
Initially, the INC participated in the alliance meetings, but later distanced itself from it.
Towards alliance
Senior PDP leader and former minister Nayeem Akhtar on Monday said that the party was prepared to support any secular coalition that includes Congress as the party (PDP) is part of the INDIA alliance.
Earlier, on October 5, People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) leader Zubair Yousuf Mir had said that PDP would be part of any secular government to prevent the BJP from coming to power.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Sunday billed the PDP’s intentions to support the NC-Congress-CPI(M) alliance as a crucial development.
“This is a positive step forward and we work together to achieve unity in Jammu and Kashmir,” said the former Chief Minister.
He expressed his appreciation to the party for its desire to lift the region out of difficulties.
Revival of PAGD
After the NC and PDP decided to go solo in Lok Sabha elections, the PAGD effectively lost its purpose. However, the alliance was never officially declared dissolved.
Political analysts see the development as a step towards revival of the alliance, which was formed a day before the Narendra Modi led BJP government put paid to the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and split the region into two federally controlled territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Shahnawaz Hussain, a valley based political analyst told businessline that the alliance was inherently anti-BJP and it would get revived to keep the party out, hinging its revival prospects on tomorrow’s election results.
“And in such a case it would be termed as a Gupkar government at regional level and INDIA alliance state government at Central level,” Hussain said.