Mehbooba can't keep J and K guessing on govt formation: Omar

With no government in place in Jammu and Kashmir for exactly a month, NC leader Omar Abdullah today said PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti cannot keep the entire state "guessing" and must form a new government or be bold enough to snap alliance with BJP and face polls.
The former chief minister also made it clear that his party National Conference(NC) is not ready to support BJP in case the PDP-BJP alliance snaps.
He also wanted Mehbooba to clear the air on the J and K--specific Confidence Building Measures(CBMs) that she wants the Modi government to commit to create an atmosphere congenial for formation of the new government.

"Mehbooba Mufti has been quiet for long and she can no longer remain silent. She must clarify her stand on two-three issues and clear the air as to what are those CBMs and how long she will wait for those Confidence Building Measures and why did the need of CBMs suddenly arise after the demise of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Omar said that National Conference has been telling PDP time and again that if they are not ready to form the government, they should be bold enough to break the alliance.

"We will go back to the people, but I am unable to understand the way of their leadership. They ask for Confidence Building Measures, but I am not sure that within the party people know or not, but outside nobody knows what they have asked for," he said.

He said that even BJP was not aware of what PDP was asking for. "Even as BJP has said that please clearly tell us what you are asking for, so we too would want to know what are the CBMs which Mehbooba Mufti is asking for, and did they keep a timeframe, a deadline," Omar said.

When asked what could be the reason for the ongoing stalemate over the government formation and whether the PDP president was scared to lead the state, Omar said, "I don't want to say whether she is scared or not.
"I want to say that she is a leader and she has to lead and she cannot follow, even if she is not ready to lead the state as of today then with conviction she should announce but she is not even saying no and not yes and has kept the entire state guessing".
Omar said that although an elected government is not in place, the alliance between PDP and BJP is still intact.

"The agreement as far as our knowledge is concerned, the alliance (between BJP and PDP) still exists. We haven't heard either from BJP or PDP that alliance has been broken, so the alliance exists and if the alliance exists, then why not government (is formed).
"Agenda of the alliance was formed and Mufti sahab was made the chief minister. What has changed in the past ten months that today even though they have numbers in the assembly they are not ready to form the government", he said.
J and K has been without a government since the demise of Mehbooba's father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7. The state came under Governor's rule the next day.