Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth leader Waheed Parra on Monday said that his party will spring a surprise on the counting day of the upcoming J&K assembly polls on October 8.
Parra who is the party’s candidate for the Pulwama seat in South Kashmir, added the PDP is open to alliances with secular parties.
He said that he is campaigning to alleviate the pain of the Kashmiri people, especially after the abrogation of Article 370.
In an interview with one of the news daily, Parra said, “This election is very local, focusing on governance issues like water, electricity, and unemployment.
There's also a narrative about the dispossession of J&K people post-August 5.”
The PDP has re-strategised its poll campaigning, while major parties address rallies, PDP has started its door to door interactions directly with the voters. “We talk about reclaiming our political rights after snatched by the centre on August 5,” he said.
Parra added that the participation and outcome in the Lok Sabha elections have boosted people's confidence and made them less fearful.
“People feel they can speak out about their issues and problems through participation in the electoral process," he said, adding that the Kashmiris want to be heard and represented democratically.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by the recent defections, he said, many left under the pressure or deserted the party to save themselves.
"However, our campaign remains focused on the pain of Kashmiri people, especially the youth,” Parra added.
He said he was hopeful about the PDP's performance. “Like in 2002, when nobody took PDP seriously we claimed 16 out of 87 seats. Even with the ongoing challenges, our workers are rejuvenated, and we aim to surprise again," he added.
When asked about being left out of the NC-Congress pre-poll alliance, Para reiterated party chief Mehbooba Muftis's stand, saying “We are open to alliances with the INDIA bloc and secular parties. We were even willing to withdraw candidates against NC and Congress under the agreement if they accepted our agenda, yet they did not respond.”
The polling for upcoming elections in J&K will commence on September 18 and voting will take place in three phases and the results for the same will be announced on October 8.
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