RS polls, a catalyst for govt formation in J-K?

The election to four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to become a catalyst for government formation in the state as the PDP and BJP appear to have entered into an understanding on seat sharing.
However, Independents and smaller parties might come in the way of a clean sweep for the two parties.
Sources in the PDP said today that the party has agreed with BJP that they will not field candidates against each other in Rajya Sabha elections, the voting for which will be held on February 7.
Rajya Sabha polls have hastened the government formation talks between PDP and BJP and the deadlock over the issue might come to an end within the next 15 days, the sources said.

The official line taken by PDP is that it needs a seat- sharing arrangement for Rajya Sabha polls. But the party has declined to name the outfit with which it is looking to enter into an understanding.
"We will have to have a seat-sharing arrangement with one of the parties to safeguard PDP's interest and win all the four seats," said Naeem Akhtar, PDP's chief spokesman.

PDP has already announced two candidates for the polls -- Nazir Ahmad Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir, both of whom unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Kulgam and Kupwara seats, respectively, losing narrowly.
BJP's state vice president, Ramesh Arora, meanwhile, neither denied nor confirmed the seat-sharing agreement with the PDP for Rajya Sabha polls.

"The process is going on... We will let you know in due course of time," he said.