Amid heightened political activity over the formation of a new government in Jammu and Kashmir a top senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig has publicly objected to his party’s boycott to municipal and panchayat polls in Jammu & Kashmir state obviously for appeasing the political party in power at the centre as seeking any clarification over boycott to civic polls won’t matter now when the municipal elections have ended and panchayat polls are about to end. Had Baig voiced his reservations over his party’s (PDP’s) decision on boycott to municipal and panchayat elections the time when civic elections were announced by the Governor Satya Pal Malik, the people would be glad to respect his views on participation in municipal and panchayat polls in the state but his statement issued now has become just an outdated remark. Had he taken a firm stand against the official position of his party and fielded candidates of his own choice for the municipal and panchayat elections in the state, the PDP President would perhaps respond to his views with seriousness and political sensitivity. Voicing differences over the party’s decision on boycott to municipal and panchayat elections shows that Baig has just tried to settle political scores over other senior leaders in the Peoples’ Democratic Party. Baif surprisingly threatens to join a third front but one party having just two MLAs in the house of 87 MLAs known for being an unattached ally of BJP for the last three years can’t be called a third front as even naives know it that BJP does not exist anywhere on ground in Kashmir valley. The BJP a party having lost the support of Pawan Gupta the lone independent MLA from Jammu region Pawan Gupta and facing criticism from even National Panthers Party (NPP) in Jammu can’t be a potential partner of any third front in Kashmir.
The criticism of poll boycott by his party (PDP) can earn Muzaffar Hussain Baig blessings of the political party presently in power at the centre but not the public support required for formation of a third front which can throw up challenge to National Conference , Congress and PDP in Jammu & Kashmir state.
If a third front has to become a challenge to traditional mainstream parties like National Conference, Congress and PDP the architects of such an alternative combination have to ensure inclusion of at least one mass based party from each one of the three regions of the state. Above all third front can’t flourish within few days of its launching and such combinations take time to form up roots at the grass root level. The criticism of poll boycott by his party (PDP) can earn Muzaffar Hussain Baig blessings of the political party presently in power at the centre but not the public support required for formation of a third front which can throw up challenge to National Conference , Congress and PDP in Jammu & Kashmir state.
