PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, who has maintained suspense over government formation for almost three weeks, will meet senior party leaders in Srinagar and Jammu over the next one week to seek their views on the issue. However, vacating of the residence has added to uncertainty in the State, which has been under Governor’s rule from January 8.
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Sayeed’s wife Gulshan Nazir Ara had earlier this week moved the family’s personal belongings out of the sprawling bungalow along Jammu’s posh Wazarat Road which led to fresh speculation on whether her daughter and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti will take oath as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shifting of personal belongings of Mufti Mohd Sayeed by his close family members from the official residence of Chief Minister here in Jammu has certainly put pressure on his former cabinet colleagues including Deputy Chief Minister to follow suit in the coming days. Party leader Akhtar said they had set no new conditions before the BJP for government formation this time, only insisted on faithful implementation of the alliance agenda.
BJP leaders in Jammu have said that the final call on government formation will have to be taken by the PDP. She seems to have misgivings on continuation of the alliance with the BJP.
PDP sources said, however, that the exit from the chief minister’s residence was a signal that they were not after power and wanted a firm commitment from ally BJP that it would implement the agenda of the alliance. “For ten whole months Mufti Sahab kept praising Narendra Modi and even went to the extent of saying that the RSS background of BJP leaders made them into better leaders and public representatives”. Optimists say a new government will be in place anytime after that day.
“After resisting the lure to assume the reins of power in the state for the past 23 days, it is highly unlikely that she will agree to head the same ruling coalition unless the BJP walks the extra mile”, said the source.
The NC Chief Spokesperson also termed Mehbooba Mufti’s apparent posturing on the return of power projects as yet another ridiculous chapter in a theatrical performance that had robbed the people of the State of the right to have a representative government.
Mehbooba’s initial refusal to talk politics was attributed to her bereavement.
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She will be chairing a meeting of party leaders and legislators on January 31 when the issue is likely to be discussed.
