Peoples’ Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti and Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Ram Madhav are expected to meet this week to hold talks on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Madhav, one of the architects of the PDP-BJP alliance, was scheduled to arrive here on Monday to meet Ms Mufti to take the bilateral agenda forward. But he instead visited poll-bound Assam. Sources in the BJP said that Mr Madhav deferred his Srinagar visit as he was told the PDP leader would be available for a meeting only after Chahlim or the 40th day ceremony of her late father and former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, which was held on Monday itself.
Also, Mr Madhav was waiting for a green signal from the BJP high command as the PDP president has publicly demanded certain measures from the Centre towards confidence building, if not fresh engagement on the terms of the alliance.
Ms Mufti had, after meeting governor N.N. Vohra to discuss the issue of government formation on February 2, sought to put the onus on BJP, saying the situation demands some measures towards confidence building to be taken by the Centre. “The government of India should initiate Jammu and Kashmir-specific measures before the formation of the government in the state,” she had said. She had also said that Jammu and Kashmir being different from other states needs a “good atmosphere, space and a fillip,” if a new government is to be formed.
So far, the BJP or the Centre has not committed itself openly to any J&K-specific initiatives and, in fact, a section of the party in the state is deadly against making any concession to its alliance partner. Some senior party leaders have publicly said that that “Agenda of the Alliance”, the common minimum programme worked out for government formation last year, already covers Ms Mufti’s concerns and demands and that the same is to be implemented during the PDP-BJP six-year rule.
However, the dominant view in the BJP is that breaking alliance with the PDP would only be detrimental to its interests in the present circumstances. BJP’s alma mater RSS is also reported to be strongly in favour of continuing its alliance with the PDP.
On the other hand, there is a strong view within the PDP that repeating its stupendous performance propelled by the clean sweep in Kashmir Valley in the November-December 2014 Assembly elections would be a task impossible to achieve again if snap polls are held in the state.
Sources in the PDP said that its leader is now ready to hold talks with the BJP.
Since she would be flying to Delhi on Sunday or Monday to attend the Budget Session of Parliament, she wants to meet Mr Madhav before her departure, the sources said.
Meanwhile, a seemingly revealing statement by a senior party leader is being seen as an awkward moment for PDP by its arch rival National Conference (NC). Muzaffar Hussain Baig, a former deputy chief minister and vice president of the PDP, on Monday said it has not demanded any Confidence-Building-Measures (CBMs) from its ally BJP as precondition for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“She (Ms. Mufti) has never said anything like CBMs. I don’t know where from the newspapers have carried such news about CBMs,” he said asserting “CBMs “actually take place between two hostile countries. It (PDP-BJP) is one alliance which has not disintegrated here. We are not talking to any enemy that we should demand CBMs.” He also said that the alliance with the BJP is intact and there was no question of making any fresh demands to the coalition partner”
NC working president and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, said on Tuesday that the PDP’s stand on government formation in the state was “strange” and “confusing”. He tweeted, “But isn’t this what Mehbooba said after meeting Governor Vohra so why the change of stand now ” He said Mr. Baig’s assertion has caused confusion about PDP’s stand on government formation. “This is confusing. Now they DON’T want CBMs #strange (sic),” he said in another tweet.
NC spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu said Mr. Baig’s statement has “exposed” PDP and Ms. Mufti. “Since Baig Sahib has stated that no CBMs are being demanded and the PDP-BJP alliance still stands, the only conclusion that makes sense is that this 40 day drama was all about internal dissension within the PDP which was brought to fore by the fact that he (Mr. Baig) met the Governor with a prior appointment on January 7 but refused to hand over a letter to him because he wasn’t sure of the support of all PDP MLAs”, Mr. Mattu said.
Referring to “contradictory statement of Mr. Mufti and Mr. Baig, the NC spokesman said, “We’ve maintained that this hollow rhetoric and posturing was a desperate attempt to conceal internal dissent within the PDP and also create a false moral smokescreen of introspection and ‘review’. Today, one of PDP’s senior-most leaders and Member of Parliament has proved that those apprehensions were accurate”.
However, Kashmir watchers see in Mr. Baig’s statement a clear indication rather confirmation of the PDP and BJP having narrowed down the differences that apparently were coming in the way of their forming the new government in the State. It is also seen as a signal of Ms. Mufti waiting in the wings. Yet her taking over as the Chief Minister of the State may take some more time. End it
