Two weeks after the election results were announced on December 23, the two major parties—Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP have not initiated formal discussions on Government formation in Jammu and Kashmir though they have indicated to forge a tie-up to govern the embattled State.
The PDP patron and the aspiring Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, whose party emerged largest with 28 seats continued discussions with the newly-elected legislators to seek their feedback on the Government formation.
The legislators had been asked last week to interact with common people on the options available with the party. However, observers say that it was just an exercise to buy time to negotiate with the BJP that emerged second largest group with 25 seats. The BJP is seeking adequate share in the new dispensation and a strong section of the party wants rotation of Chief Minister’s post.
“No breakthrough has been witnessed so far (over the Government formation). So far, I can say no development in this regard has been witnessed from the both sides,” PDP’s chief spokesman Naeem Akhtar said. “We continue to receive views from the ground over joining hands with any political party for the formation of the Government,” he said.
The possibility of the BJP-PDP tie-up brightened on Monday when the party president Amit Shah discussed the issue with the Core Group. BJP’s national general secretary Ram Madhav said after the meeting that an initiative from the PDP’s side was discussed.
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) has demanded that the PDP must make its discussions with the BJP public especially on the sensitive issue like the Article 370 and AFSPA repeal.
“The PDP must tell people what it discussed over the protection of State’s unique identity and AFSPA revocation,” veteran NC leader Muhammad Shafi Uri said.
The Government formation in J&K is also reverberating in separatist circles. The hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani called the meeting of its Majlis-e-Shora (highest decision-making body) to “discuss the latest political developments of the State”.
“If the State is handed over to the people having fascist ideologies, then a do-or-die situation will be created in our nation and our everything including life, property, faith and culture will be in danger”, Geelani told the Majlis, according to a statement issued later.
“With the help of the armed forces, the Kashmir would be made a testing lab for the projects like home-coming and save-daughter-and-bring daughter-in-law,” Geelani said.
Geelani accused that pro-India parties have sold their faith, conscience and even the national pride in the hands of India and no one of them is capable of raising the voice against the dangerous designs of the communal forces.