SRINAGAR: Disgruntled former senior PDP leader Muzaffar Baig on Wednesday joined Sajad Lone’s J&K Peoples’ Conference.
Lone, on Wednesday, had driven to Baig’s home in Brein Nishat here along with several of his party leaders.
Baig was peeved with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti after she could not give DDC ticket to Baig’s wife Safeena Baig from Sangrama in Baramulla. Safeena contested DDC elections as an Independent candidate and won the seat and even became the chairman in Baramulla.
The Gupkar Alliance, of w Baig (74), a lawyer, begun his political career with the People’s Conference in the early 70s, with Sajad Lone’s father Abdul Gani Lone, who was assassinated.
He then joined Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2000 and later joined his ministry as finance minister in 2002 when Mufti formed the erstwhile J&K state government with the support of Congress.hich Mehbooba Mufti is a part, chose Bashrat Bukhari as joint candidate from Sangrama. However, Bukhari lost DDC polls. Baig quit PDP in November 2020.
A Padma Bhushan awardee, Baig said: “It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of the party which I joined as a youth and was groomed by Abdul Gani Lone sahib. Today I have the opportunity to groom leaders like Sajad Lone and others, who are taking up leadership roles.”
Sajad Lone said the party looks up to Baig and believes that he has a big role to play at this juncture in helping the people of J&K to navigate the turbulent and treacherous times.