Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, welcomed back a prominent leader to the party fold on Sunday. Mir Mohammad Fayaz, a former member of the Rajya Sabha, rejoined the PDP after being away for three years.
Fayaz was first elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, in 2015 as a member of the PDP from Jammu and Kashmir. However, in 2021 he resigned from the party just two years after the abrogation of Article 370 which revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. At that time, Fayaz had joined the People's Conference led by Sajad Lone.
But after nearly a year away from active politics, Fayaz decided it was time to return to his original party – the PDP. On March 24th 2022, he was welcomed back by Mehbooba Mufti during a ceremony in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Mufti expressed happiness at Fayaz rejoining the PDP fold and said his experience would help strengthen the party.
Fayaz resigned from the People's Conference in September 2021 and had kept a low profile since then. But his return increases PDP's influence as an important regional party in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of possible early elections. Only time will tell what role Fayaz will take on but his re-entry is a shot in the arm for the PDP after three years outside its leadership.
