The PDP was founded in 1999 by the former
Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. It captured power in Jammu and Kashmir in
October 2002 Assembly elections. In 2004, it had one member each in the
Lok Sabha and in the
Rajya Sabha. It was a member of the ruling
United Progressive Alliance until the
2009 general election. Sayeed headed the PDP-
Indian National Congress coalition government between October 2002 and November 2005, and the PDP-
BJP government between March 2015 and January 2016 and he was the party's patron until his death on 7 January 2016. The PDP is now headed by
Mehbooba Mufti, Sayeed's daughter. The PDP operates on the ideology of self-rule, as distinctly different from the issues of autonomy. It believes that self-rule as a political philosophy, as opposed to autonomy, ensures the empowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, while further engaging in debates over new political territoriality of the Jammu and Kashmir. In
2019 Indian general election and
2024 Indian general election, it failed to win any Lok Sabha seat. In the
2014 general election, three of its members were elected to the Lok Sabha, and its strength in the
Legislative Assembly was 28. The party ran a
coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir with the
Bharatiya Janata Party The party won just 3 seats in the
2024 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election. It was also its worst election performance in Jammu and Kashmir since its formation. == Election results ==