With uncertainty over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir refusing to die down, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti arrived in Delhi on Monday afternoon to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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The PDP president has been seeking “Confidence Building Measures” from the BJP-led Centre before continuing the “unpopular” alliance with the Hindu rightwing party, which ended suddenly with the demise of the chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7.
Ms Mufti described the meeting as “very positive” and “good” in addressing issues pertaining to the people of the state.
“It was all drama enacted by PDP over the issue of CBM as a condition before BJP to be taken ahead of government formation”.
Though the exact date of government formation has not been finalised but what is certain is that the swearing in will not take place before March 31.
However, reports also came out that BJP could offer an economic pay package for J&K to satiate Mehbooba and PDP.
He said Mehbooba would brief the legislators about her deliberations with the Prime Minister.
The PDP had asked for assurances for time-bound implementation of the Agenda of Alliance – the common minimum programme between PDP and BJP. The talks had broken down after Ram Madhav, the national general secretary of the BJP, said no conditions would be accepted from the PDP prior to government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
She had met BJP president Amit Shah last week, but returned to Jammu and Kashmir without a breakthrough and with top leaders of her party saying there was little hope now of bridging a yawning gap between the two parties.
“When you meet the Prime Minister, naturally the solution to problems faced by the people is clearer”, she said, reviving the reconciliation process three days after talks between the two ideologically-opposite parties broke down.
But a few hours later, senior PDP leader and MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig clarified to IANS that his party had no fresh demands and there “was some misunderstanding in the BJP”.
The legislator said people were expecting that Mehbooba would rectify the huge mistakes committed by PDP leadership in the past and prefer to dissolve the assembly but “it is obvious that she had neither been honest to people, nor to her own agenda”.
J&K Congress Committee (JKCC) chief GA Mir said: “She (Mufti) was instrumental in the imposition of Governor’s rule”. BJP sources, however, claimed the alliance government in the state could be in place by next week.
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Abdullah lashed out at Mehbooba Mufti and said her demands were vague and had tripped her.
