india

Updated: Jan 16, 2019 23:49 IST

To stop further defection from the party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decided to award tickets to all its former legislators who got elected on party tickets in the last elections.

Six legislators including four former ministers had resigned from the party after governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the assembly in September last year.

Former ministers and legislators —Imran Reza Ansari, Abid Ansari and Abas Wani joined Peoples Conference while Bashaarat Bukhari joined the National Conference. Haseeb Drabu and Javeed Mustafa Mir who had won 2014 elections on PDP ticket have not joined any party. However, there are reports that both of them could join a new party or contest as independent candidates.

“It has been conveyed to all our former legislators who remained loyal that they will be awarded party tickets. They have already started working in their constituencies to garner public support ,” said a senior Peoples Democratic Party leader who is close to the PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Meanwhile, the party is struggling to find suitable candidates for its three Lok Sabha seats in Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag, which it had retained in the last elections. Tariq Hameed Karra who won Srinagar Lok Sabha seat on PDP ticket had resigned from the party in 2016 and joined the NC.