PDP chief spokesman Suhail Bukhari quits party

Srinagar: J&K Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) chief spokesperson, Suhail Bukhari on Tuesday resigned from the party.

Previously the media consultant of Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government, Bukhari was a reporter for a national TV channel before he joined the PDP.

Bukhari told IANS that he has resigned from the PDP. He, however, did not disclose which political party he would be joining now.

Another PDP leader and Pulwama District Development Council (DDC) member Sardar Harbaksh Singh, of Tral town, also resigned from the PDP and later announced his decision to join the Awami Itihad Party (AIP) of incarcerated Baramulla Lok Sabha member, Engineer Rashid.

Another former MLA and member of DDC, Aijaz Ahmad Mir said he was not consulted by the PDP while appointing constituency in-charges and also resigned from the party. "We will not accept this. I will resign and contest elections," Mir said.

In another development, former minister and MLA, Abdul Haq Khan rejoined the PDP on Tuesday. He had left the party two years back.

Earlier, one of the founding members of J&K Apni Party and its candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat in the recent general elections, Zafar Iqbal Manhas resigned from the basic membership of the party on Tuesday.

His son, Irfan Manhas is the Vice Chairman of the District Development Council (DDC) in Shopian.

Workers of Apni Party supporting Zafar Iqbal Manhas met him on Monday and on Tuesday, it was announced that he had resigned from the Apni Party headed by Syed Altaf Bukhari.

Manhas had left the PDP to join the J&K Apni party. He fought the recent Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully on the Apni Party ticket, losing to Mian Altaf of the National Conference in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat. Sources close to Manhas said he along with his son, Irfan Manhas would be joining the Congress on Wednesday in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, who is arriving on a two-day visit to J&K.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Tuesday issued the notification for the first of the 3-phase J&K Assembly polls, slated to be held on September 18. It issued the notification for Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, D.H. Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara, Bijbehara, Shangus, Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban, and Banihal seats.

As per the notification, candidates can file nomination papers for these seats till August 27, and scrutiny of nominations will be held on August 28. August 30 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature.