While closed door deliberations were going on within the PDP camp over Government formation in Jammu & Kashmir, nothing much was made public. The contours of the lengthy discussions were kept a closely guarded secret by the top brass of the party.
On Monday it also went ahead and flirted with the idea of forming a grand alliance by taking support of the National Conference and the Congress. In Jammu, the PDP's overture was interpreted as the party's clear intent behind distancing itself from the BJP for any role in Government formation.
Several senior elected BJP legislators also shared their assessment while claiming that the party leadership has made it clear to the Kashmir-based political parties that the BJP has received people's mandate from Jammu region. "Any Government formation in the State cannot happen without active participation of the BJP in it".
An impression was also cultivated through selective media leaks that PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed was not keen on compromising the party's position on various ideological issues which formed part of the party's core agenda. But as time is fast running out, the PDP has launched its 'spin doctors' in public domain to build a consensus through social media and formal interaction by its elected representatives over its role in Government formation in the State.
Mufti Mohd Sayeed is learnt to have directed the party legislators to go to the people and seek their feedback over the PDP's role in the new Government in the State. The PDP leadership is openly shying away from joining hands with the BJP as it is worried it may have to pay a heavy price in the long run for aligning with the saffron party in Kashmir valley for the sake of running a Government.
In a related development, Raj Bhawan in Jammu has also rescheduled meeting of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti with Governor NN Vohra on Wednesday. The meeting is aimed at discussing the issue of Government formation at the highest level. State BJP chief Jugal Kishore is also scheduled to meet the Governor separately.