No question of alliance with PDP: Congress

The Congress Party on Tuesday rejected any possibility of stitching an alliance with the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pulled out of its alliance with the PDP in Jamme and Kashmir.

Speaking to media, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed that the BJP ended the alliance with PDP after exacerbating the condition of the Valley.

"Whatever has happened is good. People of Jammu and Kashmir will get some relief. They (BJP) ruined Kashmir and have now pulled out, a maximum number of civilian and army men died during these three years," he added.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena, who is in alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra, welcomed the move.

"This alliance was anti-national and unnatural. Our party chief (Uddhav Thackeray) had said this alliance would not work out. Had they continued with it, they would have had to answer in the 2019 Lok Sabha election," said Shiv Sena leader, Sanjay Raut.

Earlier in the day, the BJP pulled out of an alliance with Mehbooba Mufti's PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav, while addressing a press conference, announced, "We have taken a decision, it is untenable for BJP to continue in alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, hence we are withdrawing."

The differences between the BJP and the PDP cropped up following the government's decision to resume anti-terror operations in the state, which were suspended during Ramzan.

"Terrorism, violence and radicalisation have risen and fundamental rights of the citizens are under danger in the Valley. Shujaat Bukhari's killing is an example," Madhav added

Both the BJP and PDP had 25 MLAs each in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.