Srinagar: Seeking entry into the Assembly as a member from Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged voters to give her a strong and decisive mandate so that she can continue efforts to take the state out from the morass of political and economic uncertainties.

Addressing a series of election meetings in Anantnag which will go to polls on June 22, she invoked her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed who was a member from this constituency when he passed away in January and said she was seeking the mandate to carry forward his mission of development and progress.

She insisted that her party PDP is the only dependable party “If you want a change of direction, not just a change of government; if you want new priorities, not just politics.” Mehbooba, who is heading a PDP-BJP coalition government since April, said the next five years are crucial for not only ensuring good governance but accomplishing the challenging task of rebuilding safe, sustainable and planned infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.

She is currently a member of Parliament from Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. “It is my partys resolve to retrieve Jammu and Kashmir from the morass of political and economic uncertainties and usher the state into an era of peace and prosperity. “We have started picking up the threads from where we left in 2005 (when the tenure of previous PDP-led government ended) to revive the process of political reconciliation and economic rejuvenation so that we can secure a peaceful and prosperous future for the state and its people,” she said. The 57-year-old leader who took the partys mantle after her fathers demise said the people of the state, more than ever before, want today the politicians to stand up and address the political and economic issues that matter to them. “They want leadership, they want commitment, they want accountability, they want political stability, they want economic prosperity, they want development and they want employment. “As a dependable regional political force, PDP has demonstrated that it can deliver on all these counts with unflinching consistency and has in fact set the momentum for tangible transformation on the ground through path-breaking developmental and welfare initiatives,” she said. “I urge the people of Anantnag to join us in this enterprise of hope, as together, we can make the difference and rebuild a safe, sustainable and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir for our future generations,” she said. — PTI