PDP insists on confidence-building measures

BJP unlikely to accept any new terms from its J&K ally

The nearly month-long political stalemate in Jammu and Kashmir refused to abate despite Governor N N Vohra’s intervention to lift President’s rule, as the PDP and the BJP stuck to their respective stands for restoring coalition government in the state.

After meeting the Governor on Tuesday, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said there were “no differences” with ally BJP but insisted on confidence-building measures for bringing peace and development to the state as a precursor to forming the government.

The BJP, subsequent to its delegation meeting Vohra, reiterated that the PDP should first decide for itself and made it clear that it is unlikely to accept any new conditions from its bigger ally to restore coalition government in the sensitive Pakistan-bordering state. 

Governor Vohra interacted with both parties - first with a PDP delegation led by Mehbooba and then a BJP team, which included former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh – to explore options for forming a new government. Central rule was imposed in the state after Mehbooba, mourning her father Sayeed’s death on January 7, refused to occupy the chief minister’s chair.

Imposing fresh conditions for government formation, Mehbooba told waiting reporters that Jammu and Kashmir was a different state and needed a "good atmosphere, space and a fillip".

"Jammu and Kashmir is a different state; there are different challenges. In Jammu and Kashmir, there are several forces which need to be tackled. We need the Centre to be fully with us," the PDP chief said. She also remarked that her father, the late Sayeed, keeping aside his "political career", had aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the hope that the Centre will pull the state out from the difficult situation it was facing.

She, however, did not spell out what she wanted from the Centre to end the suspense on government formation.

BJP leader Nirmal Singh, post discussion with the Governor, repeated the party position: “We want the alliance to continue. Modi  and Mufti had a vision regarding Jammu and Kashmir. We want to continue that vision. But the constitutional problem is that only after PDP selects a leader and tells the Governor and moves forward to form a government, we will take some position constitutionally.”