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Altaf Bukhari

Overview

Altaf Bukhari is an Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir who founded the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party in March 2020. He has previously served as a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and held cabinet portfolios in the state government before the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

Key Facts

Full name Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari
Nationality Indian
Region Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir
Profession Politician, businessman
Party Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (founder and president)
Previous parties Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
Notable office Member, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly; Cabinet Minister, J&K

Background

Bukhari hails from Srinagar and, alongside his political work, has been associated with business interests in the region. He entered electoral politics through the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference before later joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Political career

Years in the PDP

As a PDP legislator, Bukhari held ministerial responsibilities in the coalition government formed by the PDP with the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015 under Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and subsequently Mehbooba Mufti. His portfolios during this period included finance and education at different stages of the government's tenure, before the alliance collapsed in June 2018, after which Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor's Rule and later President's Rule.

Founding of Apni Party

Following the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 in August 2019 and the reorganisation of the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Bukhari announced the formation of a new political outfit. The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party was launched in Srinagar in March 2020, drawing members from the PDP, the National Conference and the Indian National Congress. Bukhari has positioned the party as a regional platform focused on the restoration of statehood, protection of land and job rights for residents, and resumption of political and economic normalcy in the Union Territory.

Apni Party leadership

As president of the Apni Party, Bukhari has led delegations to New Delhi and engaged with the central leadership on issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir, including statehood, domicile rules, and development priorities. The party has contested local body and District Development Council elections in the Union Territory.

Significance

Bukhari is regarded as one of the prominent regional voices to have emerged in the post-2019 political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. The Apni Party represents an attempt to reorganise mainstream politics in the Kashmir Valley outside the traditional bipolar contest between the National Conference and the PDP.

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