Mehbooba Mufti Announces Decision Not to Contest Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections

PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has announced not to contest the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. She said on Wednesday that she will not contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. She said that even if she becomes the Chief Minister, she will not be able to fulfill her party's agenda in the Union Territory.

She said, 'I have been the Chief Minister of a government with the BJP which withdrew FIRs against 12,000 people (in 2016). Can we do this now? I had written a letter to (Prime Minister) Modi the Chief Minister of the government to invite the separatists for talks. Can you do this today?'

Mehbooba Mufti further said, 'I got the ceasefire (implemented) at the ground level. Can you do this today? If you cannot withdraw an FIR as the Chief Minister, then what is the meaning of such a post?'

The PDP president was asked whether his intention to contest the elections has changed as his arch-rival National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah has backtracked from his stand of not participating in the elections till Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory.

The former Chief Minister said, 'Omar himself said that he will have to go to the (Lieutenant) Governor's door for the transfer of the peon. I am not worried about the transfer of the peon, but can we implement our agenda.' Omar Abdullah had vowed not to participate in the assembly elections till Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory, but his name was also included in the list of 32 candidates announced by the party on Tuesday.