BJP to send Jaitley to J&K; keeps all options open

Keeping "all options" open, BJP today decided to depute a two-member team led by senior leader Arun Jaitley to hold talks with the party's newly-elected MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir on possibility of forming government besides supervising election of their leader in the Assembly.

The decision was taken by BJP's Parliamentary Board, the highest decision-making body of the the party, which met here and discussed the election results in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Jharkhand. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah and other senior leaders.

Jaitley and party national secretary Arun Singh, who will go as Observers, will hold a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party that will elect its leader in Jammu and Kashmir, Health Minister and party general secretary J P Nadda told reporters.

The Board also decided to send Nadda and party vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe to Jharkhand to observe the election of the party's Legislature Party leader there.

He did not indicate the timeline for holding such meetings, which will be held in consultation with state party leaders. Party sources, however, said the central observers will travel to the respective states in three-four days and the next governments will be in place before year-end.

"The BJP Parliamentary Board today discussed the election results in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand and expressed a great sense of satisfaction," Nadda said.

Asked about Jammu and Kashmir where the assembly polls have thrown up a fractured mandate, he said the party was "open" for "all options".

Consultations will be held with other parties towards government formation, he said while indicating that the BJP is keen to be in government.

In the 87-member House, PDP bagged 28 seats, BJP got 25 seats, National Conference 17 and Congress 12.

Any coalition of parties will need to have at least 44 seats to be able to form the government.