Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti met Jammu and Kashmir governor N.N. Vohra at Raj Bhavan in winter capital Jammu on Saturday afternoon to stake claim with alliance partner BJP.
She was accompanied by BJP legislature party leader Nirmal Singh, who has been nominated by the saffron party as deputy chief minister, the post he held in the previous PDP-BJP government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who died in a Delhi hospital on January 7. Mr Singh handed over a letter of support from the BJP to Ms Mufti for formation of the next government to the governor.
Ms Mufti’s two senior party colleagues, Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Tariq Hameed Karra, accompanied her. The 56-year-old PDP chief is likely to be sworn in as Jammu and Kashmir’s first woman chief minister early next week as the governor has invited her to form the new PDP-BJP coalition government as soon as possible.
After her meeting with the governor, Ms Mufti said the focus of her new government will be peace, reconciliation and development in the state. She said the date for oath-taking is being finalised. She thanked the BJP for extending its “unconditional support” to her.
Later in the evening, Ms Mufti had a second meeting with the governor where she discussed matters related to government formation and the prevailing political situation in Jammu and Kashmir besides various matter pertaining to governance. She also had dinner with Mr Vohra.
Ms Mufti was originally scheduled to meet the governor on Friday afternoon to stake claim, but it was deferred at the last moment as discussions between the alliance partners over allotment of portfolios remained inconclusive. The PDP termed as baseless “reports that there were differences over the issue of distribution of portfolios” in the new government.
“There are no differences. At a time when the government formation is in the process, rumours (on differences on distribution of portfolios) are baseless (sic),” PDP chief spokesman Naeem Akhter said on Saturday.
Late on Friday evening, the PDP and BJP leaders requested Mr Vohra that they may be allowed to meet him together at 3.30 pm on Saturday which he agreed to.
Following Sayeed’s death, Ms Mufti, his daughter and “natural successor”, was reluctant to form a new government with the BJP and had publicly asked for J&K-specific confidence-building measures towards creating a congenial atmosphere to step into her father’s shoes. In view of the delay in government formation, the state was placed under governor’s rule from the night of January 8.
