J&K govt formation: Senior PDP functionaries quit ahead of Mehbooba's swearing in
Srinagar: Ahead of her being sworn in as Jammu and Kashmir’s first woman chief minister at the head of a PDP-BJP coalition government, regional Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti Friday sought resignations from the party office bearers.
Four party general secretaries, Nizamuddin Bhat, Ved Mahajan, Mehboob Iqbal and Rafi Ahmed Mir and also Peerzada Manzoor, political advisor to the PDP president, were asked to resign which they did immediately.
A PDP spokesman confirming it said the office bearers have resigned and relinquished their offices with immediate effect.
The spokesman, however, added that the resignations were tendered by them “only to pave way for party restructuring”.
He also claimed, “All the leaders have expressed full faith in the leadership of Mehbooba Mufti and have pledged support in the interest of party and people of the State.”
56-year-old. Mufti is likely to take oath as Chief Minister on Monday, the “mutually agreed date” for the swearing-in conveyed to Governor N N Vohra.
Sources in the alliance partners said that they have finalised the names of ministers who would be administered the oath of office by the Governor at the swearing in ceremony being held in winter capital Jammu.
Earlier reports had said that the BJP is pitching for “just and equitable share" in power with ally PDP and was driving a hard bargain before the swearing-in of Mufti. Confirming it, BJP's state unit chief spokesman Sunil Sethi told reporters in Jammu earlier this week, “There is a general perception that as the number of our MLAs is same as that of PDP, there is nothing wrong if we expect that our numbers (in government) to be same. We should get just and equitable share in distribution of power."
He, however, hastened to add that the State leadership of the saffron party has conveyed the matter to the party high command and it was now up to it to negotiate the same with PDP.
Reports had also said that the alliance partners were squabbling over certain key portfolios and within the PDP there was strong feeling at highest level that some of the ‘non-performing’ ministers in the previous coalition government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed should be shown the door and new and energetic faces given a chance to prove their mettle instead.
Some senior ministers in the Narendra Modi government and key functionaries of the BJP are expected to witness the oath taking ceremony. Sources said that the Prime Minister may also be requested to grace the occasion.
