SRI NAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday laid conditions for forming a coalition government with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, seeking assurances from the Modi government on political and economic issues concerning the State besides demanding her late father’s vision be implemented.
She said her party would take a call on government formation with the BJP only when it was confident that the vision and mission of her late father and former CM Mufti Sayeed would be carried on and implemented in letter and spirit.
“My father... took a courageous but unpopular decision of aligning with BJP with the hope that central government headed by PM Narendra Modi will take decisive measures to address the core political and economic issues concerning J&K and its people,” Mehbooba said, addressing a four-hour party meeting at her home on Sunday.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under Governor’s rule since he died as the 56-year-old Mehbooba, tipped to take over as CM, has shown reluctance in continuing her party’s alliance with the BJP.
In her first direct attack on the Modi government since the coalition was formed last March, Mehbooba told party leaders that instead of partnering with and implementing late CM Mufti Sayeed’s vision of bringing peace, stability and prosperity to the State, certain quarters within J&K and in New Delhi started overtly and covertly triggering frequent controversies over avoidable contentious issues resulting in wastage of government’s energies in firefighting and propitiation. “In such violative circumstances, we will have to reassess whether we can absorb the shocks which Mufti had to do so frequently...,” she said.
“If a government is to be formed, it will have to address the core political and economic issues confronting J&K... If the government is formed, it will be as envisioned by late Mufti sahib with the objective of addressing the core political and economic issues confronting J&K...,” she said.
Mehbooba said the Centre would have to take substantive measures towards implementation of the PDP-BJP “Agenda of Alliance” and for this PDP needed a timeframe to be worked out. In an indirect reference to the raising of Article 370, Article 35-A and beef ban issues by BJP and saffron parties, Mehbooba said it had been made clear in the AoA that the present position would be maintained on all constitutional provisions pertaining to J&K.
Maintaining that progress was made during the 10 months of PDP-BJP government, she said there was little forward movement on implementation of political and economic initiatives. Amid recurring contestations and controversies, Mufti tried his best to carry everybody along and this took a toll on his health, she said.
NC: Own or disown BJP
Srinagar: The National Conference on Sunday asked the PDP to clear the air by either owning or disowning its former ally, the BJP. “A continued delay in government formation has put the State in a precarious constitutional situation where two parties continue to be in an alliance with adequate numbers but are still adamant to rob the people of their constitutional right to a have an elected government,” NC spokesperson Junaid Mattu said.