PDP, BJP seek more time on government formation

Srinagar: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and its alliance partner BJP are understood to have sought ‘more time’ from Governor N.N. Vohra on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir even as PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has yet again put the ball in the Centre’s court saying the situation, in view of the State’s dissimilar socio-economic and political dimensions, demands some confidence-building-measures.  

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and BJP’s state president Sat Pal Sharma met Mr. Vohra separately at Raj Bhavan in winter capital Jammu on Tuesday evening to explain their respective party view points on the government formation.

Ms. Mufti was accompanied by PDP vice president Muzaffar Hussain Baig whereas Mr. Sharma was joined at his meeting with the Governor by two senior party colleagues- former deputy chief minister Dr. Nirmal Singh and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma. “The leaders of both the parties, which comprised the PDP-BJP coalition government till the passing away of Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, informed the Governor about their respective positions in regard to government formation,” a statement issued from Raj Bhavan said.

The Governor had on Sunday night sent fax communications to Ms. Mufti and Mr. Sharma, asking them to clarify by Tuesday evening whether they will form government in the state again or not.

This came soon after Ms. Mufti told a meeting of PDP lawmakers in Srinagar that the party will take a call on government formation only 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. She also said that the PDP was not disinclined to form the government but would not do it unless she receives ‘clear-cut and concrete’ assurances from the alliance partner. Amid looming crisis and the 10-month old alliance between the two parties seemingly coming to the edge, the Governor stepped in to seek clarifications from the alliance partners on the issue of government formation.

PDP leader Ms. Mufti after her meeting with the Governor gave signs of its alliance with the BJP staying intact yet she sought to put the onus on alliance partner BJP saying the situation demands some confidence building measures to be taken by the Centre. “The Government of India should initiate Jammu and Kashmir specific CBMs before the formation of government in the state,” she told reporters.

Dismissing reports about differences with the BJP, Ms. Mufti said that her father used to say that he didn’t join hands with Narendra Modi but with billions of people who elected him as Prime Minister. She added, “I don’t have that vision nor do I have the experience right now.”

She asserted that Jammu and Kashmir being different from other states needs a "good atmosphere, space and a fillip" if a new government is to be formed. She added, “There are different challenges in Jammu and Kashmir; there are several forces here which need to be tackled. We need the Centre to be fully with us." Refusing to specify the CBMs, she referred to 'Agenda of the Alliance', the common-minimum programme reached between the two parties for government formation last year, saying it had been firmed up at the highest level by the two sides.

Mr. Singh after BJP leaders’ meeting with the Governor said, “We’re in favour of continuing this alliance with the PDP”. Asked about Ms. Mufti’s making government formation subject to announcement of J&K-specific CMBs by the Centre, Mr. Singh said the BJP will take any steps only after the PDP elects its Legislature Party leader and notifies the Governor about it.

Party sources said that the BJP has sought 10 days of time from the Governor on government formation. Ahead of their meetings with the Governor, Mr. Singh met the PDP president at the state guest house in Jammu reportedly to urge her to seek more time from him so that the issues that may be interfering in their relationship are discussed at ease. He also conveyed an “important message” from party high command, the BJP sources said.

Mr. 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 Mr. Shah closeted with Prime Minister, Mr. Modi, to discuss the issues.

Later on Tuesday Ms. Mufti said in a statement that she told the Governor that the PDP wants a government that will actively address the plethora of problems confronting Jammu and Kashmir and for this Central government shall have to take some concrete confidence building measures.

She said most of the crucial political, economic and administrative issues that need immediate attention through tangible CMBs, both by the State and the Central government, have already been emphasized in the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ and if implemented with sincerity of purpose these could to a large extent respond to the complex problems of J&K, faced as it is with decades long political uncertainty, economic disempowerment, development deficit, unfulfilled aspirations and mounting unemployment. 

“It was the credibility and stature of Mufti Sahib that despite facing enormous resource constraints and frequent unsettling issues during the past 10 months, he kept the things moving on the governance and development fronts and even ventured out into the areas in Kashmir, especially in Srinagar, where no mainstream politician would dare to go,” she said and added that although PDP faced various challenges in the ten months of its alliance with BJP, “unfortunately, Mufti Sahib’s resolute decision was not reciprocated by the Central government, the way he expected it to be”. She also said, “It is not about the BJP and PDP, it is about formation of a government in J&K which will pull the State out of the morass”.

She said if a government is to be formed in the State, it will have to take tangible measures to address the causes of alienation, trust and development deficit in Jammu and Kashmir and work towards finding a long-lasting solution to the problem plaguing the State for the past more than six decades.

“Today, it is not about the BJP and PDP. It is about what we tell the people about fulfilling Mufti Sahib’s vision. We need tangible confidence building measures to be taken by the Central government to give the new government in J&K a fillip,” she said and added the Centre needs to create an environment to infuse confidence, and unless that happens, we cannot move forward.