Ahead of their joining NC, PDP expels Basharat, Hussain from party

Srinagar: Ahead of their joining National Conference the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday expelled its top two leaders, Peer Muhammad Hussain and former minister Syed Bashrat Bukhari from the party’s basic membership for “anti-party” activities.The party also removed Mehboob Iqbal from the key position of General Secretary. The decision to expel the two leaders was taken soon after the reports suggested that they were mulling to join NC on Wednesday. PDP vice president, Abdul Rehman Veeri said: “The party has expelled Peer Muhammad Hussain and Syed Basahrat Bukhari from the basic membership of the party on charges of anti-party activities.”
Meanwhile Two top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders Peer Muhammad Hussain and Syed Basharat Mukhari are set to join National Conference (NC) in presence of party president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Vice president Omar Abdullah and other senior leaders at the Gupkar residence of Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday morning.
Quoting sources local news gathering agency KNS reported that Peer Muhammad Hussain will join NC at 10:00am tomorrow at the residence of NC president, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Syed Basharat Bukhari, a former minister of Mehbooba led PDP-BJP coalition government will join at 11:30 am at the residence of NC president.
Sources said that both Peer Muhammad Hussain and Syed Basharat Bukhari would be welcomed by NC president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Vice president, Omar Abdullah and top senior leaders at the residence of Farooq Abdullah and will address a press conference with party president Farooq Abdullah, Vice president Omar Abdullah and other senior leaders immediately after joining the party.
Confirming the joining of his NC, Peer Muhammad Hussain said, “I have resigned from PDP long back when the PDP was in power and before that I resigned as Vice chairman Wakf Board. I took the decision to quit the party the time when the party was in power as I saw political sycophants taking over the charge and seniors not heard by the top brass of the party. The party workers were alienated with people at grass roots and when workers are connected with the people what is the fun of remaining in the party?”
“Though party president Mehbooba Mufti had tried to contact me in the past but I was not ready to remain in the party keeping in view of the alienation of the party with the of people at grass roots,” he added.
Another top PDP leader Syed Basharat Bukhari could not be contacted despite repeated attempts to reach him over phone but sources confirmed that Bukhari is set to join NC tomorrow morning. It may be recalled here that Bukhari started his political career as a PDP spokesman in 2003 and was in short time elected to the legislative council during the reign of the then Mufti Muhammad Sayeed led PDP-Congress coalition government. He won 2008 and 2014 assembly elections from Sangrama assembly constituency with comfortable majority and was inducted into the then Mufti Muhammad Sayeed led PDP-BJP coalition government as minister for law, justice parliamentary affairs, relief and rehabilitation, which lasted for ten months only. He was again inducted into the Mehbooba led PDP-BJP coalition government after the demise of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and given the key portfolios of Revenue, relief and rehabilitation. However, Mehbooba as Chief Minister divested him of the portfolios of revenue, relief and rehabilitation and offered him the portfolio of horticulture department. Though Bukhari had tendered his resignation over the change in his portfolio but he choose to remain in the cabinet till the fall of PDP-BJP coalition government. Now, after the fall of PDP-BJP coalition government, he has chosen to join NC.