On a day when Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti flew to Jammu to discuss options of Government formation in Jammu & Kashmir with Governor NN Vohra, the political circles remained busy with deliberations during the freezing cold weather. Sources said the PDP has set up “irreducible” option to form a alliance with the BJP though Congress has not given up its efforts to cajole PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to opt for a Government sans BJP.
Interestingly, a group of youngsters gathered in a parking lot in the vicinity of Press Enclave here and shouted slogans against possible PDP-BJP alliance. Claiming to be the members of an NGO, the youngsters said that voters in Kashmir have exercised their franchise against the “onslaught” of BJP and should any regional party align with the BJP. It would amount to betrayal to the popular mandate.
Mehbooba Mufti left her Fair View Guest House residence for the first time since the poll results were announced on December 23. She is scheduled to meet Governor Vohra at Raj Bhawan on Thursday to discuss issues related to the Government formation. The Governor, who is also in a fix as to whom he should invite to form Government, shot off invitation letters to PDP and BJP chiefs last week for discussion on the issues. The two parties have bagged 28 and 25 seats respectively in the most complicated verdict the electorate has ever thrown in J&K. The Government formation requires 44 legislators in the 87-member Assembly.
Sources said that PDP has worked out a formula to forge an alliance with the BJP after the two parties exchanged ideas on Government formation through emissaries. Some top level BJP leaders have also spoken to father-daughter duo of Muftis during the past few days, sources said.
“We have set-up an irreducible option that encompasses the aspirations of all regions of the State. This can form the basis of an alliance”, a senior PDP leader said without divulging any details.
Meanwhile, the newly-elected legislators of National Conference (NC) met here and vowed to “fight tooth and nail for the protection of the special status enjoyed by the Jammu & Kashmir State”. Even as the legislators did not pass any resolution to support PDP for Government formation, the NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, who chaired the meeting, said that they backed the verbal commitment offered by party’s working president Omar Abdullah. The NC has offered verbal support to PDP to form a non-BJP Government but both parties have not moved on the proposals beyond rhetoric and playing to public galleries.
However, Congress continued to counsel Mufti on “negatives” of aligning with the BJP. “The present situation has yielded a trump card in Mufti Sayeed’s hand and I feel confident that he will use the opportunity very properly and advantageously”, JKPCC Chief Saifuddin Soz said in a statement.
“While the RSS is giving a grudging consideration to the PDP’s proposals, Mufti Sahib is widely perceived to be a person who will not go wrong on what suits best to the current political consensus that has evolved at a critical stage of his (Mufti’s) long political career”, Soz said while alleying fears of a “miniscule minority” that dumping BJP would cost heavily on the development agenda for the State. He referred to non-BJP Governments of West Bengal, Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam and Tripura to justify his point.
“I feel convinced that Mufti Sahib will, under no circumstances, cripple the goose that will certainly lay the golden egg for Mufti Sahib as the chosen leader of the State”, Soz said.
In a related development, a group of youngsters shouted slogans against possible tieup with the BJP for the Government formation. “We warn both the NC and the PDP against aligning with the BJP. It will be against their mandate”, Muhammad Ishaq, a leader of the slogan-shouting youngsters said. “Modi ka jo yaar hai, gaddar hai (Modi’s friend is a traitor,” they shouted.
