PDP faces revolt as Mehbooba’s leadership is challenged

“BJP never deceived her. They gave her full support and it was just because of her that coalition collapsed,” The Tribune quoted former minister as saying.

Ansari is scion of powerful Shia dynasty and inherited leadership from his late father Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari who died in 2014. Senior Ansari quit Congress to join his long-time political leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and together developed the party into a powerful political entity.

Even as the Congress leadership was exploring the possibility of forming a government in J & K with the PDP, as many as 12 MLAs have threatened to leave the party raising the banner of revolt.

According to television news channel report, as the Congress leadership held a crucial meeting to decide its political move in J & K, the former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti faced a potential split within the ranks of her party.

Twelve of the 28 PDP MLAs are ready to defect, the news channel said quoting top sources. However, as per inputs, the Congress has made it clear that it is not looking to form a government in the state for 'just a few months' and wants early elections to be held instead.

The Congress has also conveyed its position to the Omar Abdullah-led JKNC and suggested that their two parties (Congress-JKNC) form an alliance in J & K to “save it from the BJP”. A meeting may be held in this regard between Omar Abdullah and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the near future. Omar Abdullah has earlier been chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the Congress.

As per sources, the Congress has also suggested that the PDP leaders who want to defect form a new party and join the Congress-JKNC alliance.

However, Mehbooba Mufti dismissed the speculation about her party holding parleys with the Congress over a possible alliance and the reports related to her possible meeting with Sonia Gandhi in this regard.

In a twitter message she said that she was amused at media speculations about the PDP-Congress alliance to form government in J & K.

Earlier, senior Congressman and former J & K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had also said that the Congress wouldn’t enter into an alliance with the PDP -- a statement that Omar Abdullah took to be sacrosanct, sticking to his stated view that his party isn’t looking to form a government in the state till the current assembly is dissolved and fresh elections are held.

The Congress held a meeting at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence on Monday after which Ambika Soni indicated that the party will begin its preparation for elections by informing the people of J&K about the policies and work done by the UPA II & II.

The Mehbooba Mufti-led government collapsed on June 19 as the BJP withdrew its support. Governor's rule has since been imposed in the state.