Mass leader Mushtaq Bukhari’s joining is a big boost for the BJP in the Poonch-Rajouri belt

Mass leader Mushtaq Bukhari’s joining is a big boost for the BJP in the Poonch-Rajouri belt

POONCH TODAY NEWS

SURANKOTE: Two-time ex-MLA from Surankote Peer Mushtaq Bukhari joined the BJP, the other day, in the presence of his large number of supporters.

Bukhari, who remained a popular and mass leader in Surankote town, won the Surankote assembly constituency twice. He was the only pahari leader who left his parent party National Conference on the issue of ST status to paharis. Bukhari had a tough talk with Dr. Farooq Abdullah on the issue of paharis, and later, he left the party in February 2022. Bukhari was one of those pahari forces that played a big role in this decades-old agitation regarding the demand for ST status for paharis. The joining of Peer Mushtaq Bukhari to the BJP is seen as a big boost for the saffron party. In the entire Poonch district, he is respected by all because of his straightforward attitude. His speeches on many issues carved a niche for him in the hearts of the people. Earlier, on many occasions, he was seen standing tall for the demand for ST status for paharis. Once, he said that he was ready to join the RSS and BJP if the saffron brigade fulfilled the demand for ST status for paharais. Bukhari is considered a mass leader in Poonch district after the late Yashpaul Sharma, who was living in the hearts of the people. Peer Mushtaq Bukhari has a large number of followers in every section of society, and due to this, his joining is seen as a major boost to the BJP in the Poonch district. If Bukhari gets a BJP mandate from the Surankote assembly constituency, he has the capability to win the seat in favor of the BJP. Political pundits believe that Bukhari is not an ordinary leader, but he is a mass leader who is loved by all because of his blunt approach in the public interest. In the Poonch-Rajouri region, two big Muslim faces, Mohd Iqbal Malik and Peer Mushtaq Bukhari, who are now BJP members, with their thousands of followers, will play a big role for the BJP in both the parliamentary and assembly elections, according to political observers. After joining the BJP at Jammu, Bukhari was seen happy in the presence of J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina. Bukhari said that he has fulfilled his promise of joining the BJP after getting ST status for paharis.