Two months after the Governors rule was imposed in the State of Jammu & Kashmir after the sudden demise of Mufti Mohd Sayeed on January 7, the estranged alliance partners BJP and PDP continue to pass the buck over the issue of Government formation without spelling out specific reasons over undue delay.
In the last five days PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti has addressed three public meetings in both the distinct regions of the state where she dropped clear hints of Government formation in alliance with the BJP but while doing so she apparently tried to put pressure on the central govt headed by Narendra Modi to come forward and announce some confidence building measures (CBM’s) to initiate the process of Government formation.
Meanwhile, when she failed to illicit positive response from the top brass of the BJP or any other central leader she went on to claim that the ball lies in the court of BJP over the issue of Government formation in the State while she was committed to fulfil the vision of PDP patriarch Mufti Mohd Sayeed who had decided to align with the BJP for the welfare of the people of State.
Interestingly, BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav who held a secret meeting with Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar on February 17 is yet to make any public statement in response to the Mehbooba’s positive gestures.
In the absence of any forward movement she is deliberately staying away from the Parliament and currently touring the state to give boost to the ongoing membership drive of the party.
Responding directly to her statements former Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh Tuesday returned the ball in to the PDP’s court while urging them to elect their legislature party leader first to start the process of Government formation.
Dr Singh while counting on the list of achievements of the alliance govt during their short stay in office told reporters, “so far PDP has not raised the issue of confidence building measures during any formal meeting with the BJP”.
“What we have learnt is only through the press that they are seeking some CBM’s. In reality CBM’s are not in picture and all we have is Agenda of Alliance, he added. The same was drafted very carefully keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of all three regions of the State.
Dr Singh said time and again we have cleared our stand on the question of govt formation. He said after the Assembly polls it took us more than two months time to draft the Agenda of Alliance and we always knew that it is neither a political nor any form of ideological alliance.
He said on Tuesday also we are committed to the draft of the Agenda of Alliance and every thing has been clearly spelt out in the document. PDP too called it a ‘sacred’ document. Dr Singh said now the onus is on them to elect their legislature party leader. We can move ahead only after their legislature party leader is elected.