BJP deputes Ram Madhav to end logjam with PDP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to depute its general secretary Ram Madhav to Srinagar to hold fresh negotiations with Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP) leadership.

The move comes after PDP president Mehbooba Mufti hardened her stand for continuing alliance with the BJP.

Sources told Deccan Herald that BJP top brass including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah have arrived to the conclusion that its “inexperienced” state unit was in no position to hold talks with the PDP.

Madhav, who for years was a popular face of the RSS, had negotiated a deal with the PDP — a party known for its soft stand towards Kashmiri separatists — last year.

Mehbooba had on Friday made it clear that she will not form the government with BJP if the Centre does not create a “conducive atmosphere” by committing confidence building measures (CBMs) for the state.

“There are problems within problems. To face these difficulties, we need to have support and to have that conducive atmosphere (for forming government). If we get that, it is fine, but if that does not happen, we will continue to move as we are moving today,” she told party leaders at a meeting in Jammu.

The BJP is understood to have observed that despite terror strikes, the central government did its best to improve ties with Pakistan so that the state remained peaceful.

Normalising ties with Pakistan is one of the conditions of the PDP to continue its alliance with the saffron party.

Sources said Madhav would arrive in the state after holding discussions with the state chapter of the party in Jammu. He is likely to hold another one-on-one talks with the Mehbooba. It is being believed that the party has taken serious note of “immature statements” made by the BJP leaders in Jammu over government formation and that their “insensitive remarks” festered relations between the allies.

A senior BJP leader wishing anonymity said the role of its state leaders had been so embarrassing that they couldn’t even properly condole the demise of the then chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. “When Mufti’s mortal remains were taken to Bijebehara for burial, Lal Singh (one of BJP ministers in the then cabinet) was caught posing for photographs in the Aurangzeb Park there.”
DH News Service