PDP has 'upper hand' due to BJP's 'wipeout' in Delhi, says Congress

The Congress on Friday said the People's Democratic Party (PDP) will have an upper hand in the ongoing negotiations with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir due to the saffron party's dismal show in the Delhi Assembly elections.

Congress spokesperson Salman Soz said the PDP has an upper hand after the BJP's total wipeout in Delhi.

"For the BJP, it is a matter of great urgency that they be seen as forming another government. They (BJP) will do anything to be a part of the next government. The BJP will have to make some serious compromises on its core ideology," Soz told ANI here.

He further said the delay in government formation in Jammu and Kashmir is causing a lot of inconvenience to the people of the state.

"Our state does need a government; there is no doubt about it. The people are facing a lot of difficulties and there has been a considerable delay in the formation of the government," said Soz.

"We wish the next government all the best. I hope they do what is best for the people of the state. We are waiting to see what program is likely to emerge, on what basis they are going to form the government. These two political parties are like oil and water. So, they have no chemistry," he added.

Meanwhile, the BJP said that its talk with the PDP for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir is heading in a positive direction.

"The party has been in discussions with the PDP and hopefully a final decision will emerge. Both the parties have been engaged in discussions and the discussions have progressed quite well," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.

A fractured verdict in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections last year left no party with a clear majority. The highest number of seats was won by the PDP, but the party with 28 seats fell well short of the 44 seats required to form the government.