J&K Governor calls BJP, PDP for talks on govt formation

Congress has reiterated its support for a PDP-led government

Uncertainty over the shape of the next government in Jammu and Kashmir persisted on Friday, as no political combine has come forward to stake claim to form the government, after the state election threw a fractured verdict, with no clear winner.

Governor N N Vohra on Friday invited the People's Democratic Party (PDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the first and second largest parties in the Assembly.

Vohra sent letters separately to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and state BJP chief Jugal Kishore "for holding discussions on the proposal for government formation," a Raj Bhavan official said. The official said reasonable time has been given to the parties for discussion.

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav held consultations with PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beig. PDP sources said the party was not ready for a rotational chief ministership with the BJP. The BJP has also decided to make Jitender Singh, a minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, the leader of its legislative party. Singh is currently a Lok Sabha MP and will need to be elected to either the J&K Assembly or the state Legislative Council if he were to become CM.

The PDP is the single largest party in the Assembly with 28 seats, followed by the BJP (25), National Conference (15) and Congress (12). 'Others' have seven seats in the 87-member Assembly. Unless BJP and PDP come together, neither can form a government without support of the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC).

On Thursday, Abdullah had declared there was no deal between his party and the BJP. On Friday, he tweeted that only "a verbal offer of support" had been conveyed to the PDP.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the BJP not to be "insensitive" and be seen indulging in "arm-twisting" tactics while "bulldozing" its way on government formation. He said in 2002, government formation had taken 22 days. He reiterated Congress' support for a PDP-led government, without asking anything in return.

PDP and Congress together account for 40 seats, four short of the majority mark. It looked unlikely that four of the seven 'others' would support such a government. Sajjad Gani Lone, who leads the People's Conference with two MLAs, has ruled out any truck with the PDP.

Madhav said his party was in consultation with all stakeholders to provide a development-oriented and stable government. On his talks with the PDP since his arrival here on Thursday, Madhav said these were at initial stages. "The PDP is an important stakeholder and has got a major mandate. Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) has a five-decade political career and is respected not only in the state but across the country. The National Conference also has got a substantial number of seats. It was part of the National Democratic Alliance during (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee's tenure (as prime minister)," he noted.