JK to Have Elected Government Next Week

JAMMU: Formation of BJP-PDP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir will be announced next week as the two parties have "ironed out" differences on the contentious issues of AFSPA and Article 370 and are giving "finishing touches" to the Common Minimum Programme.    

Stating this here today, senior BJP leader of the state Nirmal Singh underlined that the announcement is now just a formality as a "way out" has been found on these two issues.           

"The formal announcement would be made next week," Singh, who is being seen as a prospective Deputy Chief Minister of the state, told PTI here about an elected government awaited ever the poll results declared on December 23 last year threw up a fractured verdict.     

"A way out has been found as the differences (on contentious issues) have been ironed out," he said, adding "both the parties have shown respect to the sentiments and the core ideology of each other."     

 He said both the parties are busy giving "finishing touches" to the CMP and the same would be made public before the formation of the government.            

Asked whether his party would dilute its stand on the revocation of the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act) from the state, he insisted, "There is no question on the dilution of our stand. But yes a set procedure that guides such type of laws would be set in place."      

Hinting that a decision on revocation of AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir would be taken by the state government, the BJP leader said, "The Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) comes into force on the recommendation of the state government and AFSPA is imposed in the area where DAA has been in place.

It's the prerogative of the state government to decide where to continue DAA or not."     

He said "The CMP raises all the issues and both the sides respecting each other's sentiment and stand have reached a consensus on all the issue."

Singh, however, said decisions about issues like AFSPA are taken in tandem with the "Unified Command" that takes any decision while keeping in view the overall security situation in the state.    

"There is a set procedure for everything and in the Common minimum programme (CMP) both the sides have decided to set proper procedures in motion," the BJP leader said.     

"The CMP raises all the issues and both the sides, respecting each other's sentiment and stand, have reached a consensus on all the issues," he said.        

BJP MP and party's in-change of the state Avinash Rai Khanna said, "The dialogue is in the final stage and the state of Jammu and Kashmir will soon have a strong and stable government."  

A senior PDP leader who did not wish to be named said, "to take out the people of the state out of miseries, it was the need of the hour that both the sides show some flexibility.     

"The common minimum programme that we would bring in front of the public would prove that both the parties have decided to show respect to the aspirations of all the three regions of the state."     

He said a formal announcement on the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir would be made only after PDP patron holds a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.           PDP has 28 MLAs and BJP 25 MLAs in the 87-member Assembly.