First CM, Then CBMs, Says BJP in J&K

SRINAGAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is learnt to have conveyed to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the "confidence building measures" sought by the party president, Mehbooba Mufti, will not be forthcoming unless she takes over as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a sign of deepening political crisis in the state, the rightwing party has conveyed to the PDP leaders, who are camping in the national capital to break the deadlock between the two parties, that the Centre is willing to take "positive measures" for the development of J&K which requires having an elected government in office.

"We are back to square one on government formation," a senior PDP leader told The Citizen, wishing to remain anonymous, "We are witnessing how the political climate has been charged up across the country. In such circumstances, it is unlikely that there will be a breakthrough on government formation."

The PDP's Dr Haseeb Drabu and Amitabh Mattoo, who are camping in the national capital for a month now, have been holding parleys with the BJP leadership to restitch the alliance between the two parties which fell apart after the demise of the chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7.

Extending an olive branch to the right-wingers, the PDP president had said in a rally recently that her late father's decision to ally with the BJP was like his "last will" and she was committed to form the government, even if the decision invited criticism from the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said the Hindu rightwing party has assured the PDP leaders that the Centre is committed towards implementation of the 'Agenda of the Alliance', an ambitious roadmap with political and economic components which was worked out between the two parties last year.

"We have made it clear that our party is committed to fulfil the dream of Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) saheb which is drafted in our alliance agenda. We put the state on a new trajectory of development in our 10-month rule and we are looking forward to continuing the alliance," J&K's former deputy chief minister and BJP leader, Dr Nirmal Singh, said.

He said it is for the Peoples Democratic Party to take the final call on the matter.

The PDP leader said Mehbooba Mufti will take the decision on whether to continue the alliance with the BJP, "She has been chosen by the party to take the final call on the issue," he said.

(File Picture: Gone are the Days of the Alliance announced by PDPs Mehbooba Mufti and BJP President Amit Shah in Delhi when the governemnt under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was formed in Jmmu and Kashmir)