Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Peoples Democratic Party may have been pursuing each other for over one month now to stitch together an alliance in J&k but it appears their ‘relationship’ is likely to fructify only after Valentine’s Day.

Till then the leaders of both the parties have been directed to put the celebrations on hold and get their act together to finalise the contours of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).  It is only after the culmination of the structured dialogue at the highest level the process of Government formation — marking the paradigm shift in State politics — would be set into motion.

In the last one week when PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed publicly made an announcement that his party was holding track II negotiations with the BJP the timeline of the structured dialogue could not be fixed for a variety of reasons.

The final decision on the name of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister is also pending in the absence of formal meeting of the PDP and BJP leadership.

After establishing informal contact with each other the key negotiators of both BJP and PDP may have covered lot of ground ahead of drawing contours of the Common Minimum Programme but the final discussion on several contentious issues continue to delay the process of Government formation in the State.

The focal point of the Common Minimum Programme, according to party sources, would be all round development of three regions of the state under the new alliance Govt in the State.

The contentious issues like repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), debate on Article 370 and resumption of dialogue process with Pakistan in the wake of escalating tensions would be kept on the back burner to allow the new alliance partners tighten their grip over the State administration and kick start the process of rebuilding devastated infrastructure due to flash floods in the State.

It is speculated in the corridors of power  that BJP and PDP would jointly stake claim only after February 7 to form the Govt in the State.