By 'swiftly' walking out of the alliance Government headed by Mehbooba Mufti for over last three years in Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) finally taken its first steps towards 'scripting' its election strategy for the 2019 lok Sabha polls.
Despite having divergent views on many issues ( including Abrogation of Art 370, continuation of Article 35-A) both the alliance partners initially dragged on and faced few litmus tests but things became worse for the BJP when Mehbooba Mufti started batting for giving Amnesty to the first time stone pelters in Kashmir valley.
Poor report card of the alliance Government on work front also created piquant situation for the central leadership as BJP failed to implement its developmental agenda to its satisfaction.
Some of the big ticket developmental projects announced for Jammu region remain non starter even after the passage of 4 years. These included AIIMS, SMART CITY, New Medical colleges, etc.
BJP's dwindling popularity chart across Jammu region started bothering the central party leadership around the same time.
BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav, who had played key role in preparing 'Agenda of Alliance' had started gathering feedback from ground zero during his regular review meetings with party legislators/ ministers and organisation secretary in the state. Based on the feedback party top brass went ahead and replaced deputy chief minister and also introduced young faces in the state cabinet in the last week of April 2018.
The party leadership was faced with the biggest challenge on how to change the growing perception among the masses both at the state and the national level that BJP is playing second fiddle in the alliance govt and allowing Mehbooba Mufti to push her party's 'kashmir' centric agenda at the cost of annoying their own core constituency across Jammu region.
The Kathua rape-murder case and the manner in which it was handled by the state govt had also triggered war of words among the alliance partners. BJP was forced to remove two of its sitting cabinet ministers under pressure from the Chief Minister.
On the other hand instead of paying attention to the concerns raised by the BJP ministers over poor implementation of Prime Ministers reconstruction and development package Mehbooba further adopted aggressive approach towards holding 'sustained' dialogue process involving all the stakeholders much to the chagrin of her alliance partners.
She further created more trouble for the BJP when she demanded fresh review of surrender cum Rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants and also proposed a substantial hike.
Recently when she bargained hard in support of announcing ' unilateral ceasefire' during the month of Ramzan she really tested the nerves of the party's central leadership.
As the decision backfired and the central govt decided against extending the ceasefire PDP expressed its 'unhappiness' over the move. At this juncture the decision was taken to severe ties with the PDP as party was not ready to give her a long rope.
The BJP had won 25 Assembly seats across Jammu region in 2014 polls and in less than three years time the party was finding itself on a loose wicket.
By walking out, the BJP hopes to resurrect its image in the eyes of the electorate and can go to the masses to reclaim its 'lost ground' atleast in Jammu.