Rejecting the reservations of some loyalist leaders, Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) chief, and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti reinducted former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh into the party fold.
Muzaffar Hussain Beigh along with his wife Safeena Beigh, who is chairperson of District Development Council (DDC) Baramulla rejoined PDP on Sunday during a function to mark the death anniversary of the founder of the party late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Beigh rejoined the party at a function organized in the Bijbehara area of the Anantnag district to observe the death anniversary of party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He also offered Fatiha at the mausoleum of Sayeed.
Party leaders were divided over reinducting Beigh
Leaders of the PDP were divided over reinducting Beigh into the PDP as they observed that at a crucial time, Beigh deserted the party. Earlier in November, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh along with his wife visited the residence of Mehbooba Mufti to explore the possibility of rejoining the PDP.
As reported earlier, many leaders, who have been staunchly working in the party braving all odds, are not ready to reopen doors for those who deserted the party during a crucial time.
Sources said that loyalists of the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who did not desert the party during a crucial time, had suggested leadership not to allow entry of those who left the PDP at the time of crisis.
Beigh resigned from PDP in 2020
Co-founder of PDP Muzaffar Hussain Beigh had resigned from the party on November 14, 2020. Beigh had charged the incumbent leadership of the party with surrendering before other constituents of the Peoples' Alliance of Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).
Beigh, who was a co-founder of the PDP in the late 1990s, was made the party's patron following Sayeed's death in 2016. A former Deputy Chief Minister, Beigh quit the party in 2020 and was tipped to join the People's Conference led by Sajjad Lone.
While Baig's wife Safeena joined Lone's party Beigh did not make an official announcement about his status.
A long list of prominent leaders has resigned from the party. Former Finance Minister and one of the founder members of the party Tariq Hamid Karra had resigned from PDP on September 16, 2016.
Although some leaders resigned from the party within months after the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, after breaking the PDP-BJP alliance on June 19, 2018, many senior leaders deserted the party to join the J&K Apni Party and Peoples' Conference.
