'Despite differences BJP-PDP government to work for people'

Despite their ideological differences, the BJP-PDP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir would solely work for the development of the state, union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday.

"There are ideological differences between the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and PDP (Peoples Democratic Party). Despite these differences, the BJP-PDP alliance government would work for the development of J&K," Singh told reporters.

Singh, a BJP Lok Sabha member from Udhampur-Doda parliamentary seat of Jammu and Kashmir, and a minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, said: "The state leadership of BJP and PDP would finalise the nitty-gritty of the government formation in that state."

Singh along with BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav on Friday met party legislators of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar and discussed the government formation.

The minister said the BJP-PDP coalition government, headed by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, worked smoothly for the welfare of the common people and development of the bordering state.

Singh arrived here on Saturday and met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. He also addressed a BJP's booth level workers' meet and Journalists' conference.

Jammu and Kashmir was placed under the Governor's Rule on January 8 after Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's death on January 7 following multi organ failure at a hospital in New Delhi.

Sayeed's daughter and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, 56, is set to succeed him.

The PDP presently has 27 legislators in the 87-member legislative assembly. An independent legislator from the Ladakh region also supports the PDP.

BJP, which has 25 legislators, is supported by two legislators of Peoples Conference headed by Sajad Lone and an independent member.