Will Muzaffar Beigh too join BJP?
Ayaz Mughal
You may have heard about Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, former deputy chief minister from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also one of the founders of the party. He recently made headlines by appearing at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Jammu.
Beigh's strained relationship with the PDP is well-known. Tensions escalated after the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and deteriorated further under Mehbooba Mufti's leadership. In 2020, he and his wife Safina departed from the party after she was denied a ticket.
Moreover, hailing from the Pahari communities, Beigh has long advocated for ST status for the Pahari Ethnic Group of J&K. With the recent passage of the J&K Reservation (Amendment) Bill 2023 granting ST status to Pahari communities by the central government, several Pahari leaders have begun switching sides. Some have already done so, while others are contemplating the right time and opportunity.
Beigh's appearance at the PM's rally has fueled speculation, with many guessing that he might be the next to align with the BJP.
While Beigh did not provide a definitive answer, stating that he was present merely to listen to the Prime Minister and that no one had approached him to join the BJP, he did commend PM Modi's efforts in the region. Beigh also came into limelight in 2021, a news came that he has joined People's Conference but few months later Imran Ansari confirmes that he (Beigh) had never joined PC and was not even a member of the PC. It's pertinent to mention here that Muzaffar Beigh was in PC before he joined PDP.
Whether Beigh will indeed join the BJP remains uncertain, but one thing is certain: his actions have injected further complexity into the already intricate political dynamics of Jammu and Kashmir.
