Srinagar, Oct 24, KNT: Despite their frequent public criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party, several top leaders from the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party have in the past engaged directly with senior BJP leaders, reflecting complex political dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir politics.
In the early 2000s, NC leadership maintained cordial relations with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government. The then Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, was known for his open communication with BJP stalwarts such as L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
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Similarly, the PDP under late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed formed an alliance with the BJP in 2015, a coalition that governed Jammu and Kashmir for over three years. During that period, both Mehbooba Mufti and late Mufti Sayeed held several high-level meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders.
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While both regional parties have since distanced themselves from the BJP and regularly accuse it of undermining J&K’s autonomy, a senior Journalist and a political observer said their past cooperation reflects the pragmatic nature of politics in the region. “Such engagements are often revived during shifting political climates, even as public rhetoric remains confrontational,” he said, adding that there are no permanent friends and foes in politics. [KNT]
