BJP, PDP seal deal to form govt in J&K
Jammu & Kashmir will get a government soon with the BJP and PDP sealing a deal on government formation in the state
Jammu & Kashmir will get a government soon with the BJP and PDP sealing a deal on government formation in the state. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti met BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday. After their meeting, the two addressed the media and formally announced an alliance between the two parties.
Addressing reporters, Amit Shah said, "In a few days, Jammu and Kashmir will get a PDP-BJP alliance government. The deadlock that existed on some issues, has been broken," Shah added.
"After several rounds of discussion a common minimum programme has been arrived at," he said.
Mehbooba Mufti also said, "keeping in mind, the development and aspirations of J&K people, we have formulated an agenda of alliance between BJP-PDP".
"This alliance is not for power sharing but to win the hearts and minds of people of J&K," she added. The swearing-in ceremony of the new government headed by PDP chief Mufti Mohammed Sayeed is likely to take place on March 1, sources privy to the talks said.
Sayeed had earlier headed a coalition government with Congress for three years from 2002. In the assembly polls held in December last year, PDP emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats while BJP got 25 seats in the 87-member House.
Both parties have kept under wraps the details of the common minimum programme (CMP), particularly with respect to the Article 370 and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the two issues over which the two parties have completely opposite views. The CMP needs to be read in totality and not in bits and pieces, leaders from the two parties said.
The two sides are understood to have agreed on formation of a committee which will go into the AFSPA issue and suggest areas from where it could be revoked.
On Article 370, while BJP has given no written assurance as demanded by the PDP, the CMP is expected to say that both parties will respect the aspirations of the people of the state within the Constitution, the sources indicated.