In a significant political development ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, Haji Farooq Ahmad, the Vice-Chairman of the District Development Council (DDC) Kupwara, announced his resignation from the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) on Sunday.
A close associate of Haji Farooq, who was elected as the VC of DDC Kupwara in 2020, confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that Farooq has stepped down due to dissatisfaction with the party’s conduct.
Addressing speculation on social media that his resignation was linked to being denied a ticket for the upcoming elections, the associate clarified, “The resignation has nothing to do with ticket allocation. The party has not even announced its candidates yet. Claims suggesting his decision was seat-related are entirely baseless and serve only to mislead.”
In a Facebook post, Haji Farooq expressed his reasons for leaving the party, stating, “It is with great pleasure that I, along with my entire cadre of workers and sympathizers, disassociate myself from JKPC with immediate effect.” He reflected on his time with the party, acknowledging that although it was brief and challenging, he made every effort to strengthen it. However, he noted that “ideological differences, as well as internal and external undue interference in the party, had become unbearable.”
Farooq, who is known for his strong grassroots connections, revealed that after extensive meetings and discussions with the public over the past two months, he concluded that the people were dissatisfied with the party’s ideology and conduct
“I am deeply connected with the people, and after engaging with them in recent months, I realized that they are not content with the party’s direction,” he said.
He concluded his post by wishing the JKPC success in the future, marking his departure as another significant shift in the region’s political landscape as it prepares for upcoming elections.