SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Four days after the near dead-end on government formation talks with the BJP, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday arrived in New Delhi to hold talks with senior BJP leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“She is likely to meet the PM tomorrow. If the meeting takes place, then the deal will be struck and the two parties may issue a joint statement,”a PDP source said adding that the Central government has shown willingness to accept some of Mehbooba’s demands.
Apart from Mehbooba, other PDP leaders are also in Delhi to hold talks with Union ministers. PDP leader Haseeb Daribu has reportedly met Arun Jaitley. Asked how the communication lines between the parties were restored, senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar told Express, “In politics, communication lines never break down.” Sources said Jaitley had called Mehbooba and reiterated his party’s commitment to forming government on the basis of the agenda of alliance framed by the two parties last year. They said he had told her that her meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah was not handled well. Asked if there was hope of breakthrough on government formation, Akhtar said in politics, there is hope.
Sources said Mehbooba may chair a meeting of party legislators in Srinagar on March 24.
Meanwhile, National Conference working president Omar Abdullah met Governor N N Vohra. He later told reporters: “J&K is awaiting government formation for the last two months. If BJP and PDP don’t forge an alliance and form government and if PDP doesn’t take the support of Congress, then the Governor should dissolve the State Assembly and call for mid-term polls.” He added, “We are ready for mid-term polls.”
Regarding Mehbooba’s visit to Delhi, Omar said, “An effort is going on to gather support independent of Mehbooba Mufti. I think rushing to Delhi is her last ditch effort to save her party because she seems to have realised that if she does not form the government on the terms of BJP, her party will be split and in that case she will be in a much weaker position and can’t dictate terms.”