Srinagar: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday that informal discussions with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are underway but no formal talks for the government formation have begun as yet. “It will take some time before a structured dialogue on the issue could for formulated. So far, only informal discussions are going on and no formal talks have started as yet,” PDP’s chief spokesperson, Naeem Akhtar, told this newspaper here.
Earlier during the day, BJP president Amit Shah met senior leaders of the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit over government formation. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh who is from Jammu and Kashmir were also present in the meeting held at Mr Shah’s residence in New Delhi.
Mr. Madhav told reporters after the meeting, “The inputs from state unit of the party in Jammu and Kashmir were taken in the meeting.” He added that the suggestion was to take the talks with the PDP forward. “In view of the mandate of the people, we have decided to continue the talks with PDP.... It (PDP) has taken some initiatives and we are considering all aspects,” he said.
When asked to clarify BJP’s stand on Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act-AFSPA- in view of PDP’s demand that it should be repealed at earliest, Mr. Madhav said, “Let the issue figure in the talks first.” There are reports that the BJP had already agreed not to insist on revocation of Article 370, giving its legal and constitutional implications.
PDP has emerged as single largest party with 28 seats, majority of them from Kashmir, while BJP got 25 seats, all from Jammu as the saffron party drew a blank in Kashmir and Ladakh region in the recently held Assembly elections. The NC has 15 seats followed by Congress's 12, Peoples Conference (PC) headed by BJP ally Sajad Gani Lone two, Communist Party of India (M) and Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) one each and Independents three.
Congress has already ruled out any alliance with BJP but proposed a ‘grand alliance’ between it and PDP and NC to form a ‘secular’ government in the state. CPIM’s Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami and PDF’s Hakim Muhammad Yasin with Independent Sheikh Abdur Rashid too have declared their support for a non-BJP ‘secular’ government.
Mr. Shah held talks with the leaders from the BJP’s J&K unit after the PDP hinted that it could tie up with the BJP. However, formal talks between the two sides may be delayed further in view of the India-Pakistan flare up along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir which has apart from causing fatal casualties among both the Border Security Force and civilians triggered mass migration of the people from the border areas. Incidentally, almost all the Assembly seats in the border region of Jammu were won by the BJP in the elections.
Meanwhile, outgoing Chief Minister and National Conference working president, Omar Abdullah, on Monday questioned BJP’s reported negotiations with PDP, which wants revocation of AFSPA, saying the ruling party at the Centre had accused him of compromising national security whenever he raised the issue. “So when I raised AFSPA I was accused of playing politics with Nat Sec (national security). BJP negotiates Govt (government) formation with @jkpdp using AFSPA & that’s OK??”(sic) he wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
He also criticized PDP for its “assertion” that a coalition with BJP is necessary for getting the special assistance of Rs 44,000 crore submitted by his (Mr. Abdullah’s) government for the flood-affected people of the state. “We are being told by the @jkpdp that the tie up with BJP is necessary for the 44,000 Cr flood relief. Shouldn’t a state just get its due?” he asked.
