Srinagar, Sep 18 (FN Bureau) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from Bijbehara assembly constituency Iltija Muti on Wednesday predicted a hung assembly in Jammu and Kashmir and said that her party will play an instrumental role in formation of the government. “The election will not produce a decisive mandate but a fractured one and no party will get the absolute majority and a hung assembly will emerge”, Iltija, who is the daughter of PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, told media persons in Anantnag.Iltija said that PDP will play an instrumental role during the permutation and combination of the new assembly to form the new government in Jammu and Kashmir.“It is a good move that the Assembly election is taking place after ten years and people will now choose their own representatives who will raise their issues in the Assembly”, she said.The PDP candidate said that outside officers have been dominated by the people and there is “Babu Raj” going on with corruption and red tapism has increased in Jammu and Kashmir.
Iltija said that unemployment among the youth has tremendously increased and there are no jobs for the youth. She said that “if the youth are not picking up guns now,They fell prey to the drug addiction which is becoming an epidemic here”.“All this has to be resolved and can be resolved by resuming the democracy”, she said and added “that in a conflict area, the democracy was put in a deep freezer for so many years”.“I am happy that at last the election weas held and people will be able to send their representatives to the assembly who will represent them without any fear and reluctantly could plead their issues”, the PDP candidate added.
When asked about Awami Itihad Party (AIP) led by Engineer Rashid and Jamaat-e-Islami forged an alliance and fielded their candidates against PDP which would divide the votes, Iltija said “I don’t think so..I think all we have our own space ..I am not going to be somebody’s petty who will deal legitimise somebody or their standings and because of them I feel threatened”.She said it is a great step that Jamaat is participating in the elections and alleged that “National Conference brazenly rigged the elections in 1987 and criminalised the Jammat because of which the history took a very turbulent course and we all are paying a price for that”.The PDP Candidate said that Jamaat has done great work here and provided education to lakhs of students that should not be forgotten and their work they did socially.