After Altaf Bukhari, Sajad Lone secures another ally in former deputy CM Muzaffar Baig

After finding a new ally in the form of the Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party earlier in the week, Peoples Conference chairperson Sajjad Lone on Wednesday secured further support from former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister (CM), Muzaffar Hussan Baig and his wife Safina Baig, the district development council chairperson from Baramulla.
The Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls on May 20 in the fifth phase, will see a direct contest between Lone and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah.
Bukhari had on Monday put his weight behind Lone, who on Wednesday met former Baig and his wife at their residence. “It was a pleasure to call on @Muzaffar__Baigsahib and @SafinaMBaigji. As the conversation predictably veered towards elections, I stressed that I have a right. And seeking their support is my right,” Lone wrote on X, while sharing pictures from the meeting.
Safina Baig, who had won the DDC polls with the help of Peoples Conference’s support, also took to social media, writing on X, “Whenever Beigh sahib and I host Sajad sahib at our residence, it inevitably reminds all of us of the decades-long that we share. Beigh sahib has seen him grow and evolve. And yes@sajadlone sahib is correct when he says he is here by virtue of a right [sic].”
“We will support and campaign for Sajjad Lone and want him to win as he is the most suitable candidate for Baramulla,” she added.
Hitting out at the NC, Safina said the party failed to raise a voice after abrogation of Article 370 despite having three representatives in the Parliament.
“They are in an alliance with the Congress and it’s unfortunate that even Congress is silent on restoration of Article 370 in its manifesto. They are doing politics,” she said, before allegeding that NC’s Baramillah MP Akbar Lone could not even secure funds for the Baramulla Medical College despite repeated requests.
The Baigs hold considerable sway in the Baramulla and Sangrama segments and among the Pahari community, which could help bolster Lone’s prospects.
Muzaffar Baig, an MP from 2014 to 2019 and one of the founding members of People Democratic Party, is not currently affiliated with any political party. Nonetheless, he had earlier this year attended an event at Bijbehara held to mark the death anniversary of the PDP founder Mufti Sayeed and others hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu and Srinagar.