In July 1999, a few days after the Kargil war ended, Mufti Mohmmad Syed, who had re-joined the Congress under P V Narasimha Rao, parted ways with the party and launched the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) along with his daughter Mehbooba Mufti.

Mehbooba, who had won election from the Bijbehara Assembly constituency in 1996, resigned to garner support for their nascent party.

After 25 years, the PDP is facing existential crisis with more than 40 leaders including senior leaders and former ministers leaving the party. The desertions began following the abrogation of article 370 in 2019. Most of the leaders switched loyalty to the newly formed Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, widely perceived as a proxy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The political commentators believe the fate of PDP hinges on the outcome of the current Assembly elections.

The rise and fall

The PDP was launched at a time when Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the Valley, was caught in the crosshairs of violence and Ikhwan, a State-backed militia, had unleashed bedlam in the region.

The father-daughter duo promised to end Ikhwan raj and advocated for a dialogue with Pakistan for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. 

Mehbooba, who is known for her exceptional organisational skills, visited the slain militants’ families to commiserate with them. The move was tactically aimed at building goodwill and reconnecting with the masses. 

The party effectively employed semiotic strategies and adopted a green flag, featuring pen and inkpot as its election symbol. The symbol had previously been used by the United Muslim Front, an amalgam of several political parties led by Jamaat-e-Islamai, who fought and lost the controversial 1987 elections.

Many political observers in the Valley saw the formation of the PDP as part of New Delhi’s new game plan to undermine the National Conference’s dominance and offer an alternative to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. 

In the next Assembly elections held in 2002, the PDP won 16 seats and formed the government after stitching up an alliance with the Congress on a rotational basis.

On November 2, 2002, Sayeed was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and remained in office till November 2, 2005. 

The composite dialogue between India and Pakistan resumed during this time and on April 7, 2005 Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service was started, which added to the popularity of the party.

The government, however, collapsed in July 2008 after the PDP pulled the plug on it over the transfer of forest land to Amarnath Shrine Board.

Alliance with the BJP

In the 2014 Assembly elections, the PDP secured 28 seats, while the BJP garnered a strong mandate from Jammu, bagging 25 seats.

Despite their markedly different political outlooks, they forged an alliance and formed the government. Many political observers had billed the alliance as unholy, anticipating its eventual fall.

After the death of Sayeed in 2016, Mehbooba took over as the Chief Minister, leading the government until the BJP withdrew its support in 2018, bringing an abrupt end to the fragile coalition.

Anger against PDP

Prominent political analyst from Srinagar Noor Ahmad Baba said that the PDP began losing its support base after it forged an alliance with the BJP.

“There has been much anger against the PDP for siding with the BJP,” sad Baba. 

The immediate upshot of this anger was reflected in the 2019 LoK Sabha polls when Mehbooba lost to NC’s new comer Husnain Masoodi.

Following the abrogation of Article 370, dozens of senior leaders made an exit from the party.

However, a senior PDP leader, who declined to be quoted said that the BJP government wanted to disintegrate the PDP as it was the only party that spoke fearlessly against the unilateral decision taken on August 5, 2019. 

In 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the PDP again suffered defeat in all the three seats in Kashmir. 

As the Election Commission of India ( ECI) announced the Assembly elections, some more former legislators and district development council (DDC) members parted ways with the party over the distribution of tickets. 

“There is no doubt that the PDP is in a difficult position. But it is still the second largest regional party after the NC. It’s electoral performance, particularly in South Kashmir, will decide it’s future,” said Baba. 

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