The new alliance partners in Jammu & Kashmir, the BJP and the PDP on Thursday crossed all hurdles in their way to complete the process of Government formation. PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning to discuss the final draft of the “common minimum programme” before making it public.
During the meeting, Mufti Mohd Sayeed is also expected to personally invite the PM to attend his swearing-in ceremony, which is expected to take place in Jammu on March 1. After the meeting between PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and BJP chief Amit Shah in New Delhi, speculation is rife in the corridors of power that both sides are still struggling to evolve consensus over some contentious issues.
Following last minute hiccups, the negotiators worked over time their way on Wednesday to iron out their differences before finalising the draft of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP). The new alliance in the State marks paradigm shift as both the parties were traditionally opposed to each other and held divergent views on Several state centric issues.
PDP chief spokesman Naeem Akhtar confirmed to The Pioneer that a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on Friday.
Before Mufti’s departure for Delhi on Thursday afternoon, PDP’s key negotiator Dr Haseeb Drabu called on him and briefed him about the d final round of talks between the two parties. He later accompanied Mufti Sayeed.
On his arrival in New Delhi Mufti Mohd Sayeed told TV reporters,” I am here to meet the Prime Minister”. Mufti, however, refused to reply straight questions whether an understanding has been reached between the two parties on some of the contentious issues like Article 370 and revocations of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), initiation of dialogue with Pakistan to resolve issue of Kashmir, citizenship rights to west Pak refugees and handover of NHPC run power projects to the State Government.
“I won’t talk on the issues. CMP will come in black and white and the entire public of the country will see what we are doing”. PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar had earlier termed the alliance between the BJP and the PDP as watershed moment in the history of Indian politics.
BJP legislator Dr Nirmal Singh who is tipped to be the Deputy Chief Minister in the State had stated both the parties were coming together on the basis of CMP to form the alliance Government in the State. Dr Singh said we have worked out an agenda of governance to give responsive and transparent Government to the State.