Srinagar: Shortly before Mehbooba Mufti’s scheduled meeting with Governor N N Vohra at Raj Bhavan in Jammu to explain her party’s position on government formation, the PDP president was reportedly urged by alliance partner BJP to seek more time from him so that issues that may be interfering in their relationship are discussed at ease.
Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh, met Mufti soon after she arrived in Jammu from Srinagar to convey an “important message” from the party high command.
Singh was among four senior BJP leaders from Jammu and Kashmir who met BJP president Amit Shah and its national general secretary Ram Madhav in Delhi on Monday evening to explain ground realities in the State and the line of thinking in the party’s state unit on the issue. Later, Shah closeted with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to discuss the issues, which have led to present crisis in the State, which in turn have brought 10-month old PDP-BJP alliance to the edge.
Mehbooba Mufti was scheduled to meet the Governor at 4.30 PM whereas the BJP’s state unit president Sat Pal Sharma will call on him at 6 PM. Vohra had summoned them to Raj Bhavan to clarify whether they will form the new government in the State or not.
Most constitutional and legal experts say that if the PDP-BJP combine conveys to the Governor about their failure to form the new government and he is satisfied that none of the other political parties are in a position to fill the vacuum by providing Jammu and Kashmir a stable government he may recommend dissolution of the State Assembly and holding of fresh elections.
He wants unambiguous answers from PDP as well as BJP also because he has to appoint advisors which he has not done so far in the belief that the Governor’s rule imposed in the State on January 8 following the demise of Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, and consequent failure of the PDP-BJP combine to form the new government would be a brief affair. In the event of the alliance partners’ asking for more time for government formation, the Governor would go ahead with appointing advisors and may also order some changes in bureaucratic structure towards smooth working of the administration under him.
The PDP emerged as the largest party in the November-December 2014 elections to the 87-member Assembly after winning 28 seats. It cobbled up a coalition with ideologically divergent BJP, which has 25 seats, in March last year to form a government in the State. Owing to the demise of its patron and Chief Minister, Mr. Sayeed, in a Delhi hospital on January 7, the PDP’s tally has come down to 27. Mr. Sayeed represented southern Anantnag constituency. Two other major parties National Conference (NC) and Congress have 15 and 12 members, respectively. The remaining seats went to smaller parties or independents.
Meanwhile, ahead of Mr. Sharma’s meeting with the Governor, the BJP’s extended core group is holding an important meeting in Jammu to discuss the issues in the backdrop of the talks the party’s delegation had had with Mr. Shah and Mr. Ram in Delhi on Monday. The meeting began at 4 PM and is the second such meeting in past 24 hours, party sources said.
All party lawmakers too have been invited to the meeting where they are being briefed about the outcome of discussions the party delegation had had with Mr. Shah and Mr. Ram who played major role towards forging alliance with the PDP last year. J&K BJP’s general secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul when asked about the uncertainty said, “From our side there is positivity and we feel the same from other side. There is no uncertainty from BJP side”
Meanwhile, opposition NC working president and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday took a dig on the PDP over its stand on the government formation, saying it was desperate to save its face and even a phone call will do the job. “Someone please phone her,” he said on micro-blogging site Twitter.com adding “They so desperately want a face saver that now even a phone call will do. Lagao number.”
Ms. Mufti had on Sunday while presiding over a meeting of its extended core group said her party will take a call on government formation as and when it is confident that the “vision and mission” of its patron and former Chief Minister Mr. Sayeed will be carried forward and implemented in letter and spirit.
“Mufti Sahib took a courageous, although unpopular, decision of aligning with BJP with the hope that the Central government headed by Mr Narendra Modi will take decisive measures to address the core political and economic issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir and its people,” she said adding that “Unfortunately, instead of partnering with and implementing Mr. Sayeed’s vision of bringing peace, stability and prosperity to Jammu and Kashmir, certain quarters, both within J&K and in New Delhi, started overtly and covertly triggering frequent controversies over avoidable contentious issues resulting in wastage of the State government’s energies in fire fighting and propitiation”.
She also said that she was not disinclined to form the government but would not do it unless she receives these assurances from the alliance partner. “I will not burn my fingers for nothing. PDP will not form government just for the sake of power but, if it does, it will be, as envisioned by Mufti Sahib, with the objective of addressing the core political and economic issues confronting J&K as was done by the PDP-led government between 2002 and 2005,” she said.
The PDP has been maintaining that the Agenda of Alliance is a “sacred document” and wants its implementation on ground in letter and spirit to ensure the State’s inclusive development. Ms. Mufti told Sunday’s meeting that Mr. Sayeed died a sad man as “non-fulfilment” of the promises made to the people in past ten months taxed him heavily.”
