SRINAGAR: In the meeting that took place on Thursday evening between BJP vice president and general secretary Ram Madhav and PDP senior leader and MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir was positive, BJP leader told Express.
A senior J&K BJP leader said the meeting was positive and the two leaders discussed issues related to government formation. “Various issues including rotational CM were discussed in detail and it has been decided that channels of communication should remain open”.
He said during the meeting Baig favoured meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for sorting out key issues.
“The meeting ended on a positive note,” the leader said.
The electorate in the State has given a fractured mandate with none of the parties getting absolute majority. PDP has emerged as single largest party with 28 seats in 87-member J&K Assembly. BJP is close second with 25 seats followed by National Conference and Congress with 15 and 12 seats respectively. Sajjad Lone’s People Conference has won two seats while five independents have also won.
Sources said during talks with PDP, BJP leaders demanded that party be given first go at CM’s post for three years. “However, PDP is unwilling to agree to on and wants CM from the party, for at least first three years”.
Meanwhile, Ram Madhav in his brief interaction with media before returning to New Delhi said they met people from different parties in the State on Thursday.
“We have not arrived at any conclusion so far,” he said adding discussions will continue.
He said the party wants that government should be formed in the State as early as possible. “Efforts are on to form credible and stable government in J&K”.
Madhav, who during his stay in Valley met separatist-turned-mainstream politician and Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone and PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, did not divulge information what he discussed with PDP leader.
He said he will brief party president Amit Shah and other central leaders about his talks with political parties in the State.
Sources in BJP said the party leadership has not opened any communication lines with Omar Abdullah’s National Conference as yet.
Omar had last evening denied reports that his party is in talks with the BJP.
"So many stories doing the rounds about a BJP-NC deal. Let me say this as strongly as possible – There is no deal nor any discussion going on,” he had tweeted.
There is division in NC over alliance with BJP with some legislators including Aga Ruhullah, Mian Altaf and Ali Mohammad Sagar opposing any such alliance saying “it would be breach of trust people had reposed in them”.
Unconfirmed reports said that Madhav may have also met independent legislator Hakeem Yaseen. However, it could not be confirmed.