BJP, PDP agree on govt formation

Sayeed likely to take oath as CM on Feb 27

 The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finally reached an agreement over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday after almost two months of hectic deliberations.

PDP patriarch Mufti Mohammed Sayeed is set to take oath as chief minister either on February 27 or 28.

Sources told Deccan Herald that the two parties have agreed to the draft of the common minimum programme and Sayeed is set to meet BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday to finalise the deal.

“Mehbooba who will be accompanied by senior party leader and MP Muzaffar Hussain will finalise the deal with Shah after which formal announcement about the government formation is likely to be made,” they said. During the meeting, it will also be decided when and where Sayeed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would meet before the oath taking ceremony.

A senior PDP leader, who was part of the negotiation team with BJP, confirmed the development.

“We have reached to an agreement on the draft of the CMP over contentious issues like Article 370, AFSPA and the plight of West Pakistan refugees. The CMP is to our satisfaction. Oath ceremony will be held either on February 27 or 28,” he said.

However, he also confirmed that PDP has agreed to deviate from its stand of Self-Rule in J&K as was advocated in its manifesto for the polls.

It would for the first time in the history that BJP will be in government in a Muslim majority state where it has always remained a fringe player. However, differences on some key issues on which BJP and PDP have varied ideologies and stands would be a real test for both the parties in times to come.