PDP, BJP ask Jammu and Kashmir governor for more time

Both the Peoples’ Democratic Party and the BJP are learnt to have sought “more time” from governor N.N. Vohra for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, while PDP president Mehbooba Mufti yet again put the ball in the Centre’s court by saying the situation, in view of the state’s dissimilar socio-economic and political dimensions, needs some “confidence-building-measures”.

The PDP president and BJP state chief Sat Pal Sharma met Mr Vohra separately at the Jammu Raj Bhavan on Tuesday evening to explain their respective viewpoints on government formation. Ms Mufti was accompanied by PDP vice-president Muzaffar Hussain Baig while Mr Sharma was joined at his meeting with the governor by two senior colleagues — former deputy CM Nirmal Singh and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma. “The leaders of both the parties, that comprised the PDP-BJP coalition government till the passing away of chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, informed the governor about their respective positions in regard to government formation,” a statement issued from Raj Bhavan said.

The governor had on Sunday night sent fax messages to both Ms Mufti and Mr Sharma, asking them to clarify by Tuesday evening whether they will form a government in the state again or not. This came soon after Ms Mufti told a meeting of PDP legislators in Srinagar that the party will take a call on government formation only as and when it is confident that the “vision and mission” of its patron and former CM Mufti Sayeed will be carried forward and implemented in letter and spirit. She also said the PDP was not disinclined to form the government, but would not do it unless she gets “clear-cut and concrete” assurances from its alliance partner. Amid the looming crisis and the 10-month-old alliance between the two parties appearing to be near the edge, the governor stepped in to ask for clarifications on the issue of government formation.

Ms Mufti, after her meeting with the governor, gave signs that the PDP’s alliance with the BJP was intact, yet she sought to put the onus on the BJP, saying the situation demands some “confidence-building measures” to be taken by the Centre. “The Government of India should initiate Jammu and Kashmir-specific CBMs before the formation of a government in the state,” she told reporters.

Dismissing reports about differences with the BJP, Ms Mufti said her father used to say that he didn’t join hands with Narendra Modi but with the billions of people who had elected him Prime Minister. She added: “I don’t have that vision nor do I have the experience right now.”

She asserted that Jammu and Kashmir, being different from other states, needs a “good atmosphere, space and a fillip” if a new government was to be formed. She added: “There are different challenges in Jammu and Kashmir; there are several forces here which need to be tackled. We need the Centre to be fully with us.” Refusing to specify what these CBMs should be, she referred to the “Agenda of the Alliance”, the common minimum programme struck between the two parties for government formation last year, saying it had been firmed up at the highest level by the two sides.

Mr Singh said after the BJP leaders’ meeting with the governor: “We’re in favour of continuing this alliance with the PDP.” Asked about Ms Mufti’s making government-formation subject to the announcement of J&K-specific CBMs by the Centre, Mr Singh said the BJP will take any steps only after the PDP elects its legislature party leader and notifies the governor about it.

Party sources said the BJP had sought 10 days’ time from the governor on government formation. Ahead of their meetings with the governor, Mr Singh met the PDP president at the state guest house in Jammu reportedly to urge her to seek more time from him so that the issues that may be interfering in their relationship are discussed at ease. He also conveyed an “important message” from the party high command, the BJP sources said.

Mr Singh was among four senior J&K BJP leaders who met BJP president Amit Shah and general secretary Ram Madhav in New Delhi on Monday evening to explain the ground realities in the state and the line of thinking of the state unit. Mr Shah was later closeted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss these issues.

Later on Tuesday, Ms Mufti said in a statement that she told the governor the PDP wants a government that will actively address the plethora of problems facing the state, and for this Central government would have to take some “concrete confidence-building measures”.

She said most crucial political, economic, administrative issues that need immediate attention with tangible CBMs, both by the state and Central government, have already been emphasised in the “Agenda of the Alliance”. She said if a government is to be formed in the state, it will have to take tangible measures to address the causes of alienation, trust and development deficit in Jammu and Kashmir and work towards finding a long-lasting solution to problems plaguing the state for over six decades. “Today, it is not about the BJP and PDP. It is about what we tell the people about fulfilling Mufti Sahib’s vision. We need tangible confidence-building measures to be taken by the Central government to give the new government in J&K a fillip,” she said, adding the Centre needs to create an environment to infuse confidence, and unless that happens we cannot move forward.

Ahead of the BJP leaders’ meeting with the governor, the party’s extended core group held an important meeting in Jammu to discuss issues in the backdrop of the talks the party’s delegation had with Mr Shah and Mr Ram in New Delhi on Monday. This was second such meeting in the past 24 hours, that was also attended by all party MLAs who were briefed about the outcome of discussions the delegation had with Mr Shah and Mr Ram, who played a major role towards forging the alliance with the PDP last year. J&K BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul, asked about the uncertainty, said: “From our side there is positivity and we feel the same from the other side. There is no uncertainty from the BJP side.”

Former J&K CM and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah, reacting to Ms Mufti’s demand that the Centre should come up with J&K-specific CBMs, asked her why she hadn’t feel the need for this in the past 10 months. “The only thing I don’t get in all this is why Mehbooba didn’t feel the need to ask for this BEFORE Mufti Sb died ”, he wrote on Twitter. Earlier in the day, Mr Abdullah took a dig at the PDP over its stand on government formation, saying it was desperate to save its face and even a phone call would do the job. “Someone please phone her... They so desperately want a face saver that now even a phone call will do. Lagao number :)”, he tweeted.