'Tie-up with BJP might put PDP's future in Kashmir in danger'

The newly-elected MLAs of PDP have voiced apprehensions about the party's future in the Valley if it was to enter into an alliance with BJP for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The MLAs conveyed their concerns about an alliance with the BJP to top PDP leadership after interacting with cross section of people in their respective constituencies, a senior PDP leader said on condition of anonymity.
"The MLAs after visiting their constituencies came back with the feedback that the future of PDP might be at stake if the party joined hands with the BJP for government formation," the PDP leader said.

He said there was a consensus among the MLAs that there is a vast gap to fill for their party in order to enter an alliance with BJP.
"Given the agenda of the BJP like Article 370, revocation of AFSPA and our stand on these issues, the two parties have a lot of distance to cover in order to reach a common ground," the leader said.
The election results on December 23 threw up a hung Assembly with the PDP emerging as the single largest party winning 28 seats -- 25 in Kashmir and three in Jammu region.

The BJP came a close second by winning 25 seats -- all in Jammu -- and is pulling out all stops to form its first government in the only Muslim-majority state of the country.

National Conference (NC) bagged 15 seats while Congress won 12 seats with smaller parties and independents winning on seven seats.
However, no combination of political parties has been able to cobble up an alliance to form the government in the state due to ideological differences of all three major parties with the BJP.
NC, Congress and three unattached MLAs have offered unconditional support to PDP for forming the government.
As PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and president Mehbooba Mufti were unable to make up their mind on possible alliance partners, they asked the newly-elected MLAs to get a feedback from their constituents, particularly in regard with an alliance with the BJP.