SRINAGAR: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti, met Jammu and Kashmir Governor, N.N. Vohra, at Raj Bhavan in winter capital Jammu on Saturday afternoon to stake claim to form government with alliance partner BJP.
She was accompanied by BJP’s legislature party leader Dr. Nirmal Singh who has been nominated by the saffron party as deputy chief minister, the post he held also in previous PDP-BJP government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who died in a Delhi hospital on January 7. Mr. Singh handed over letter of support from BJP to Ms Mufti for formation of the next government.
Ms. Mufti’s t wo senior party colleagues Muz-affar Hussian Baig and Tariq Hameed Karra were also with her. The 56-year-old PDP chief is likely to be sworn-in as Jammu and Kashmir’s first woman chief minister early next week as the Governor has invited her to form the new PDP-BJP coalition government as soon as possible.
After her meeting with the Governor, Ms. Mufti said the focus of her new government would be on peace, reconciliation and development in Jammu and Kashmir. She said the date for oath-taking is being finalised.
Ms. Mufti’s was scheduled to meet the Governor on Friday afternoon to stake claim to form the government. But the meeting was deferred at the last moment as discussions between the alliance partners over allotment of portfolios remained inconclusive.
Later, PDP termed as baseless the “reports that there were differences between the alliance partners over the issue of distribution of portfolios in the new government.
