Shah, Mehbooba May Seal Jammu and Kashmir Government Formation Deal Today
SRI NAGAR: Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and MP, may meet BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi along with senior party leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, on Monday.
“Mehbooba and Shah will finalise the government formation deal. The two leaders will also discuss issues that will remain central to the coalition government to be formed in J&K,” party sources said.
After two months of hard negotiations, both the parties have finalised the draft CMP, according to which, the BJP will agree for status quo on Article 370 which grants special status to J&K, and the PDP will sacrifice self-rule issue.
The two parties have also agreed on gradual withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state after taking the Army and the Defence Ministry into confidence.
Besides, the PDP has also softened its stand on West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) living in the state since 1947. The party has agreed to approach the matter as a humanitarian issue and evolve a political consensus on the same.
The BJP has also agreed to ‘conditional’ resumption of dialogue with the separatists. Sources said that during the Monday meeting, leaders of both the parties will pledge to avoid raising controversial issues in the state.
“Mehbooba and Shah will also finalise a date for a meeting between PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” they said.
Sources said that the CMP is not likely to be made public before the meeting of Modi and Mufti, who is expected to lead the PDP-BJP coalition government for six year.
“In all possibility, the CMP will be released after the meeting of two top leaders,” sources said, adding that the PDP patron may also invite the PM for his oath-taking ceremony which is likely to take place later this week. The state was under Governor’s rule since January 8.
A state BJP leader said that now there were no differences between the parties and the state government will be formed soon.
According to the government formation deal, deputy chief minister will be from the BJP. Senior J&K BJP leader Nirmal Singh is tipped for this post.