With the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday deciding to continue its alliance with the BJP, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is set to become Jammu & Kashmir’s first woman Chief Minister.
The PDP has set no timeframe for the formation of the coalition Government, and clarified that there were no pre-conditions for the continuation of the alliance, which would be guided by the Agenda of Alliance, a document framed last year as a political and developmental roadmap for the unprecedented tie-up.
The BJP has repeatedly said that it was waiting for the PDP’s initiative to start preparation for the formation of a new Government. The PDP has to ask for a letter of support from the BJP to stake claim for the formation of the coalition Government.
Speaking to the media, PDP’s senior leader and former Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said the alliance with the BJP would continue without pre-conditions. He said the party leadership authorised Mehbooba Mufti to decide on the timeframe for formation of the new Government.
Akhtar described the Agenda of Alliance as a “sacred document” and appreciated that a part of it has been implemented during the 10-month rule of the Mufti. He said more work would be done on the agenda in due course.
The announcement, made after a five-hour-long meeting of the core group of the PDP, set all speculation about the continuation of the PDP-BJP alliance at rest.
This was the first meeting of the party’s top political group after the demise of former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on January 7. A grief-stricken Mehbooba’s refusal to take oath immediately after the demise of her father and political mentor forced the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State.
The meeting assumed significance as a small section of the PDP leadership expressed its opinion against continuation of the alliance with the BJP. They gave the impression that the party was not happy with the implementation of the coalition’s agenda, especially on the developmental front.
However, Akhtar’s mellowed tone and eagerness of the party to continue its alliance with the BJP without pre-conditions indicated that back-channel efforts have been made to sustain the tie-up for the full term of the State Assembly.
The PDP’s response was also awaited against the backdrop of Opposition National Conference (NC) patron Farooq Abdullah’s willingness to consider forming a Government with the BJP if such an invitation was extended to it. Omar Abdullah, the NC’s working president, however, clarified on Sunday that his party had no plans to align with the BJP.
“The PDP’s core group wholeheartedly and unanimously supported Mehbooba Mufti and expressed full confidence in her leadership. The party authorised the president to take any decisions to carry forward late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s mission and implement his political and developmental vision”, PDP’s chief spokesman Mehboob Beg later said in a statement.
He said the party resolved that the PDP would work towards accomplishing the vision of the Mufti to create a space of dignity, opportunity and prosperity for the people of J&K, in the paradigm of friendship and cooperative relationship between India and Pakistan.
“It was the firm belief of Mufti sahib that the resolution of the problems of J&K was possible only through cordial ties between India and Pakistan, with the State becoming a hub of this cooperative relationship. The meeting welcomed the new initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to improve ties with Pakistan, which is an important objective of the agenda of alliance and Mufti sahib’s political legacy,” the statement said.
The meeting observed that on the internal front the Mufti was a strong votary of espousing constitutional methods of finding a resolution to political problems, issues confronting J&K and safeguarding the State’s distinct identity and special status.
“He used to address the political aspirations, economic needs and developmental deficit of the State from a position of authority and with confidence,” the meeting observed.