SRI NAGAR: PDP chief and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister-designate Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday before taking oath as the head of the PDP-BJP coalition government on March 1.
Sources in the Peoples Democratic Party said Mufti and Modi would discuss issues that need to be taken on priority basis by the coalition government in the state. “He will also invite Modi for his oath taking ceremony”.
“After the meeting, the two parties will be releasing a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) named “Agenda of Alliance”,” the sources said.
According to the PDP and the BJP sources, Mufti, 79, is likely to take oath as Chief Minister on March 1 at Jammu University’s Zorawar Auditorium.
Sources said 12 ministers, six each from the Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP, will also take oath along with Mufti.
The PDP and the BJP, with 28 and 25 seats respectively in the 87-member J&K Assembly, were engaged in government formation talks for the past two months.
After sorting out all the contentious issues, including Article 370, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs), resumption of talks with Pakistan and separatists, reclaiming power projects from NHPC, the two parties formally announced their decission on government formation in the national capital on Tuesday following a meeting between PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and BJP chief Amit Shah.
According e parties, BJP’s Nirmal Singh is tipped to become Deputy Chief Minister.
The two parties will also be distributing key portfolios, while Home and Finance ministries are likely to be handled by the Peoples Democratic Party.
The PDP-BJP coalition government would be the watershed moment in the state’s history because it would be for the first time that the saffron party would be part of the Jammu and Kashmir government.