RS Polls Row: Waheed Para Calls NC’s Allegations “Misplaced, Inaccurate and Counterproductive” | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para on Wednesday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) over the recent Rajya Sabha election row, terming its allegations against the PDP as “misplaced, inaccurate and counterproductive”.

The National Conference’s outcry over the Rajya Sabha vote is misplaced. This is not fundamentally about the Rajya Sabha – it serves as a diversion from substantive concerns, notably the Siraj-ul-Aloom controversy and the erasure of Urdu from official records.

It is also…

— Waheed Ur Rehman Para (@parawahid) May 6, 2026

In a post on X, Para said the NC was attempting to shift focus from what he described as “substantive issues”, including the Siraj-ul-Aloom controversy and the alleged removal of Urdu from official records, by raising questions over the Rajya Sabha voting process.

He also referred to recent political developments in the Union Territory, alleging that the NC had “disintegrated” the PAGD alliance and ensured the PDP’s exclusion from the INDIA bloc arrangement during the Assembly elections.

Against this backdrop, Para said the PDP had no obligation to cooperate with the NC, yet extended “unconditional support” despite internal differences within the ruling party.

He argued that blaming the PDP for the Rajya Sabha outcome was unjustified and said responsibility lay “closer to Nawai Subh”, a reference to the Chief Minister’s office headed by Omar Abdullah.

Para said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had acted in good faith by neither abstaining from voting nor imposing conditions on the NC, adding that her only suggestion was to secure the third Rajya Sabha seat and avoid politicising the uncertain fourth seat.

Responding to NC criticism over polling agents, Para said the voting process was open and transparent, and key decisions regarding appointment of agents rested with the NC leadership.

He further questioned the NC’s stance, asking why it would expect trust in a PDP-appointed agent if it did not trust PDP legislators themselves.

Referring to NC MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi’s remarks during the Vice Presidential elections, Para said Mehdi had earlier stated that the party failed to clearly communicate its position to its MPs, and questioned whether this implied internal contradictions within the NC.

Para also alleged that some senior NC leaders remained in contact with PDP leadership and said Mehbooba Mufti had refrained from encouraging political defections in the interest of stability in Jammu and Kashmir.

He cautioned that targeting the PDP could ultimately benefit the BJP by weakening opposition unity in the Union Territory.

Para added that if political equations changed in future, the NC might require PDP support and would then face an “awkward situation” given its current criticism of the party.

Addressing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, he urged him to prioritise governance over what he called “dwelling on one lost Rajya Sabha seat”, and expressed hope that the government would ensure effective functioning of its MLAs and MPs.

His remarks came a day after the NC asked PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and her MLAs to publicly affirm that they did not vote in favour of the BJP.