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Wooing 'rebels'? After Mehbooba's uncle, all PDP office-bearers quit

(File) Mehbooba Mufti | AFP

All office-bearers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday evening submitted their resignations to party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, a party spokesman said.

The development came hours after the resignation of Mufti's maternal uncle, Sartaj Madni, as the PDP's vice president.

Party's spokesman Rafi Mir said all office-bearers of the party—vice president, general secretaries and treasurers—have submitted their resignations to Mufti, adding the move was "aimed at revamping the party".

The PDP has been facing an internal crisis since the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government, with many MLAs coming out in open rebellion against Mufti, accusing her of playing to the diktats of a coterie of relatives around her.

The spate of resignations has been interpreted as an attempt by Mufti to quell the 'rebellion' by disgruntled MLAs and avoid desertions. Mufti had warned the BJP against attempting to woo her MLAs and said splitting the PDP would break trust in democracy in Jammu and Kashmir and reignite support for militancy.