The Government formation process in Jammu & Kashmir on Monday received a boost after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sent “positive signals” to the BJP and the latter decided to set up a core team to hold talks with the PDP.
Though a “structured dialogue” between the PDP and the BJP is yet to begin, some definitive headway has been made to end the stalemate over Government formation in J&K, sources said.
Sources indicated that if all goes well, the chief ministership may go to PDP’s chairman Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the BJP will get the post of Deputy-Chief Minister. BJP’s first time MlA from Billawar (Jammu) Nirmal Singh is seen as one of the contenders for the post of Deputy-Chief Minister.
“Three to four days,” they said when asked about the time-frame needed to shape up things to firm up a coalition in the State. The State BJP leadership is understood to have supported negotiations with the PDP rather than with the National Conference Party (NCP) of Omar Abdullah. As the PDP warmed up to a possible tie-up, BJP’s State leaders on Monday met party president Amit Shah for 90 minutes at his residence here and discussed the way forward on Government formation.
“There has been an initiative from the PDP’s side. To take this forward, we decided to hold further discussions on the issue (with the PDP). At the moment, there is some forward movement on the issue,” BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told newspersons after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the PDP refused to react to the BJP core group meeting in New Delhi, but the party reiterated that it was not possible to mitigate the problems plaguing J&K if an alliance was formed with the NC or the Congress.
“I have no update today,” Naeem Akhtar, the chief spokesman of PDP, told The Pioneer. He, however, reiterated that an alliance with the NC or Congress was not beneficial for the State given the fact that the local Government has to deal with the Central Government for important issues.
“We have promised reconciliation, dialogue, cross-loC trade, revocation of AFSPA and return of power projects to State. Is it possible to solve these issues if we go with Congress and NCIJ” he asked.
He said relief and rehabilitation of last year’s flood victims requires Rs50,000 crore, which is not possible to get after an alliance with NC or Congress.
Akhtar said the priorities of the PDP have always been different than those of the NC. “It is public welfare and not power to a person or a group of people that influences our decisions. We feel accountable to people who voted for us and we are trying our best to achieve a fair deal for them,” he said.
Earlier, the BJP’s state core group held discussions with Shah on issues like the post of Chief Minister and the party’s stand on Article 370 and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in case the BJP goes along with the PDP.
“The issue has moved forward. As and when we move forward, we will let you know. Keeping in mind the mandate in J&K, we have decided to take forward the talks,” Madhav said.
Among those present in the meeting with Shah were Union Minister Jitendra Singh, party’s in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, BJP State unit president Jugal Kishore Sharma and senior State leaders Nirmal Singh and Bali Bhagat.
The BJP has 25 seats and is second after the PDP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 28 MlAs. NC got 15 and the Congress had to content with 12 seats in the 87-member State Assembly.
Sources said negotiations with the PDP would be held at the State level and ruled out Sayeed immediately visiting the National Capital to meet top BJP leaders. Reports earlier said that PDP chairman may visit the National Capital to greet former Prime Minister Vajpayee on his 90th birthday on December 25. Mufti had praised the NDA’s rule during the Vajpayee regime and its efforts to bring peace across the borders.
Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader Taj Mohiuddin said that PDP leaders’ claim to be real friends of Kashmiris does not conform to their alliance with the BJP.
“For the PDP, the decision will be suicidal as it will endanger their existence in Kashmir. The PDP should know that the people of Kashmir voted in favour of them only to stop the BJP in the Valley,” Mohiuddin, who lost the election in Uri said.