Srinagar: National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Sunday called for dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and holding fresh elections in case PDP and BJP fail to form a government in the State.
"If they (PDP and BJP) can’t solve the problems of the people, the Assembly must be dissolved and fresh elections held," he told reporters in winter capital Jammu.
Meanwhile, PDP’s core group which met here on Sunday has authorised the party president Mehbooba Mufti to take the final call on the government formation. “Mehbooba Ji has been assured of all the support by all the party members and she will take the final call on government formation,” senior party leader and former minister Naeem Akhtar said.
He, however, also said “We’re working on how to move ahead on Agenda of Alliance (the common minimum programme reached with BJP for the government formation last year).”This is seen by local watchers as an indication of PDP’s inclination towards forming the new government with the BJP.
Abdullah had on Saturday said that his party may consider a tie-up with the BJP for government formation if such an offer is received. As the statement set off a political firestorm in the State, his son and former chief minister Omar Abdullah promptly denied that NC is looking for such affiliation with the saffron party.
The Senior Abdullah when asked to spell out his party's stand if it gets a proposal from BJP for forming a coalition government in the state which is under Governor's rule had told reporters at Katra near Jammu, “If such a proposal comes, then NC will call a Working Committee (meeting) and debate over it. If such a situation arises, NC can think over it as we have not closed the doors. Our doors are open."
His statement evoked sharp criticism back home and many people took to the social networking sites to accuse the NC and its leadership of being “power hungry”.
Caught on the back foot, the party’s working president Omar Abdullah took to micro blogging site Twitter to term his father’s statement as a "reasonable response" He tweeted, "He (Farooq Abdullah) hasn't sought an alliance nor assured any support, only consideration & discussion".
In another tweet, he said, “That's why I don't give categorical answers to hypothetical questions or situations. Unnecessary storms in teacups follow."
He explained, “All he has said is that if any proposal comes from the BJP it will be discussed by the Working Committee of the party for a decision.”
In yet another tweet, he said, “The audio clip of what my father Dr Farooq Abdullah has said is very clear. Please listen to it before arriving at any conclusions”.
All he has said is that if any proposal comes from the BJP it will be discussed by the Working Committee of the party for a decision.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) January 16, 2016 He also said, “The Working Committee of the @JKNC_ is capable of deciding what is in the interest of the state & the party. So please resist speculation.”
The Working Committee of the @JKNC_ is capable of deciding what is in the interest of the state & the party. So please resist speculation.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) January 16, 2016 NC spokesman Junaid Azim Muttu also defended the party president, saying “Dr. Farooq Abdullah was talking about a hypothetical situation and he never said @JKNC_ will support the BJP. That's a wrong inference.”
He tweeted, “NC is not power hungry and will not compromise on its stand. We have shunned any prospects of an alliance with the BJP a year ago.”
In another tweet, Muttu said, “The PDP is an ally of the BJP and @JKNC_ is not obliged to rescue either the PDP or the BJP from their ensuing internal political stalemate”.
The Senior Abdullah himself said he had never said that his party was going with the BJP. "I had never said that we are going with BJP, it has to be made clear. I only said that PDP should form the government with the BJP as they have the mandate. I only said that our party can discuss on anything in our working committee," he said.
He also said that NC has only 15 MLAs in the Assembly and it cannot form the government with them, he said "We can’t take a decision as we don't have the mandate. We’re only 14-15 people, and 14-15 people can’t form the government. I’m not the one to take the decision; it is the party high command to take the decision."
He advised the coalition partners BJP and PDP to iron out their difference and form the government without any delay as it was not good for the border state. "Delay is a bad thing, for this state. Delay is a bad thing it is a border state (that is) going through a difficult stage, they (PDP and BJP) have the mandate and they must sit down and solve the problems of the people that is why they were elected. And if they cannot solve the problems of the people they must dissolve the Assembly and hold a new election," he said.
Meanwhile, PDP’s extended core group met here on Sunday to discuss a slew of issues including government formation. PDP cobbled together a coalition government with ideologically divergent BJP in March 2015 at the head of its patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. But after the chief minister’s death in a Delhi hospital on January 7, the PDP has yet to decide whether to form a new government with the BJP or end its alliance with the saffron party and look for alternatives.
With the alliance partners failing to formally intimate Governor N.N.Vohra regarding government formation in the wake of the death of the chief minister, the state came under Governor’s rule on January 9.
Mr. Akhtar after the 5-hour long meeting of the PDP core group told reporters that ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ is the holy scripture for PDP and many things have happened under late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed as chief minister.” He also said that the meeting reiterated the party’s resolve “to rededicate itself towards realizing Mufti Sahib’s vision of a politically stable and economically empowered Jammu and Kashmir and authorized the party president Ms. Mufti to take any decision needed to carry forward his mission and implementing his political and developmental vision’.
