10 NC MLAs give up their plan to join PDP
Our Correspondent

Jammu, December 25
With Congress in the rider’s seat in the coalition regime, 10 MLAs belonging to the Opposition-National Conference (NC) have given up their plan of joining the PDP led by Ms Mehbooba Mufti.

So far, only two NC MLAs, Mr Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Mr Dilawar Mir, had joined the PDP after resigning from the Assembly to avoid the axe of anti-defection law falling on their head.

Since June last, more than eight MLAs belonging to the National Conference had been hobnobbing with the PDP leadership and the stage was being set for their defection to the PDP.

The NC MLAs developed a cold feet after the date for the implementation of the power transfer agreement started drawing near. A senior NC MLA sought the advice of his friends who suggested to him to wait and in case Mr Mufti Mohd. Sayeed was allowed to continue for another three years, he and his party colleagues could join the PDP. The day the dice was cast against the Mufti, the NC MLAs gave up their plan to defect from the party.

These MLAs do not want to risk their political career by boarding what they call a “sinking ship” because they have come to believe that by being on the right side of the Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, the NC patron Dr Farooq Abdullah could prove of great help to them for ensuring their political survival.

One NC leader said, “despite our resentment against the party leadership, we are not prepared to “ruin our political career by joining the PDP.”

The way the National Conference leadership has been trying to woo the Congress has been another factor for the NC dissidents to give up their plan to quit the party.

Dr Farooq Abdullah has been keeping his indirect support to Mr Azad is no longer a secret and it was on his suggestion that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, lauded the efforts of Mr Azad while speaking on the relief operations in the earthquake-hit areas in the Assembly.

In fact, the National Conference leadership is keen to see the chasm between the PDP and the Congress getting further widened so that a situation developed in which the Congress could retain the government with the outside support of the National Conference.