PDP's Rising Star: Iltija Mufti Talks Kingmaker Role and Election Battles

Iltija Mufti, a third-generation politician, claims that PDP will play a crucial role as a kingmaker in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. Asserting no party will achieve a clear majority, she emphasizes the importance of representing the people and resisting BJP dominance. This marks her first electoral contest.

Iltija Mufti on Thursday asserted that the PDP is set to emerge as the kingmaker in Jammu and Kashmir, predicting that no single party will secure an outright majority in the impending assembly elections.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, Iltija, confident of PDP's strategic importance, highlighted, "Our aim is not power but to prevent the BJP from gaining ground. Jammu and Kashmir is currently no more than a municipality."

The young politician from the Mufti dynasty is running from the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency, a stronghold previously represented by her mother Mehbooba Mufti and grandfather Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. This election marks her first foray into electoral politics.

Iltija also criticized the diminished autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir post-Article 370 abrogation and drew parallels with Arvind Kejriwal's political struggles, underscoring the challenges faced by a Muslim-majority region's leadership. Despite limited assembly powers, she views the elections as crucial for local representation.

Discussing potential alliances, she said, "Unity is crucial but not always practical in politics." If needed, PDP's stance on supporting the NC-Congress alliance for government formation will be decided by Mehbooba Mufti, not her.

(With inputs from agencies.)