J&K: Gov steps in to end uncertainty; PDP maintains suspense
Srinagar/Jammu, Feb 1, 2016 (PTI)
With uncertainty over government formation prevailing for nearly a month, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has stepped in to end it as he asked PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and state BJP chief Sat Pal Sharma to clarify their stand tomorrow.
PDP, meanwhile, maintained suspense even today as its Legislature Party met for the first time since the demise of the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7 but gave no clarity on whether Mehbooba was elected as its leader, a requirement for her formal projection as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
After the much-awaited meeting of PDP Legislature Party, which was seen with lot of expectations, party leader Naeem Akhtar (rpt) Naeem Akhtar only said that Mehbooba had been authorised to convey its point of view on government formation to the Governor.
He did not spell out as to what the party's stand was or whether Mehbooba had been elected as Legislature Party leader.
Vohra has called Mehbooba and Sharma for separate meetings tomorrow to discuss the issue of government formation in the state which is under Governor's Rule since January 8, imposed a day after Sayeed passed away.
"Yes, the Governor has called her (Mehbooba Mufti) for a meeting tomorrow," PDP spokesman Naeem Akhter told PTI today.
According to sources, the Governor sent a communication by fax to the PDP Chief last evening for holding consultations.
Mehbooba will meet the Governor in the afternoon tomorrow after which Sharma will meet him.
"Yes, we are going to meet the Governor tomorrow in the evening," Sharma said.
PDP, with 27 MLAs in the 87-member Assembly and BJP with 25 legislators, ran a coalition government headed by Sayeed for 10 months before his demise on January 7.
The Governor's missive to the leaders of the two parties came after Mehbooba, who is seen as a successor to her father as Chief Minister, talked tough yesterday with regard to continuance of alliance with BJP.
The PDP chief had said she will take a call after "reassessing" whether ally BJP's government at the Centre would take substantive steps in a "set timeframe" to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state.
In the wake of these developments, the state BJP's core group met in Jammu and decided to consult the central leadership before meeting the Governor at 6 PM tomorrow.
Soon after, some state leaders of the party rushed to Delhi to meet BJP chief Amit Shah.
Earlier, after the core group meeting which discussed Mehbooba's statement, BJP leaders said there was "no concrete" demand or condition from PDP but their party was committed to the implementation of "Agenda of Alliance" and address any issues that the ally may have.
State BJP President Sat Sharma said if any issue is raised by PDP, it can be resolved.
"In the past ten months, the development which has taken place was not seen in the past 60 years. Agenda of Alliance is the vision of Narendra Modi and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed to take Jammu and Kashmir forward. If you think the development was slow, then we will make sure that it is speeded up," the state BJP chief said.
"We will meet him (Governor) and today's meeting was regarding our stand on the issue of the formation of government," Sharma said.
Asked if BJP was ready for fresh polls, he said "it would be premature to speak about the issue".
On reports that PDP has made certain demands like transfer of power projects to the state, the state BJP chief said, "PDP might have said it but we have not received anything from them in writing...We will discuss with the Centre and if any such issue comes up, we will tell you for sure."
To queries about Mehbooba's concerns and demands on the issue of implementation of Agenda of Alliance, he said, "No condition has come to us, nobody has discussed anything with us till now. If we get anything in concrete, we will discuss on it. Our condition is only the Agenda of Alliance.
"We will take it forward with full spirit and implement it in the six years' period and make sure that we go a step further then what is written in this Agenda of Alliance."
BJP MP from Jammu Jugal Kishore Sharma said any further step would be taken after discussions between the state and the central leaderships.
Asked how long the government formation process could take, he said "nothing can be said in this regard".
Sharma said the party yesterday received a letter from the Governor, in which he invited them for a meeting at 6 PM tomorrow.
The Governor's consultations with the PDP and BJP are seen as last ditch efforts to avoid snap assembly polls in the state as the regional party has toughened its stand.
At a four-hour long meeting with party leaders yesterday, Mehbooba had said she will take a call on government formation as and when she is convinced that the Modi government would take "substantive" steps within a "set timeframe" to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state.
"The Government of India shall have to take substantive measures towards implementation of the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of Alliance’ in the interest of peace and stability in J-K and for this PDP needs a set timeframe to be worked out," she had said.
Meanwhile, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah today said if PDP is not ready to form the government, fresh elections should be held.
"If PDP is not ready to form the government, then the only option is... call for fresh polls. No other party is ready to form government with them and if PDP also wants the same, then it is time they call for fresh polls. This is what should be done in a democracy," he said.
"We have only 15 MLAs and are in no capacity to form a government," Abdullah said.
PDP, meanwhile, maintained suspense even today as its Legislature Party met for the first time since the demise of the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7 but gave no clarity on whether Mehbooba was elected as its leader, a requirement for her formal projection as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
After the much-awaited meeting of PDP Legislature Party, which was seen with lot of expectations, party leader Naeem Akhtar (rpt) Naeem Akhtar only said that Mehbooba had been authorised to convey its point of view on government formation to the Governor.
He did not spell out as to what the party's stand was or whether Mehbooba had been elected as Legislature Party leader.
Vohra has called Mehbooba and Sharma for separate meetings tomorrow to discuss the issue of government formation in the state which is under Governor's Rule since January 8, imposed a day after Sayeed passed away.
"Yes, the Governor has called her (Mehbooba Mufti) for a meeting tomorrow," PDP spokesman Naeem Akhter told PTI today.
According to sources, the Governor sent a communication by fax to the PDP Chief last evening for holding consultations.
Mehbooba will meet the Governor in the afternoon tomorrow after which Sharma will meet him.
"Yes, we are going to meet the Governor tomorrow in the evening," Sharma said.
PDP, with 27 MLAs in the 87-member Assembly and BJP with 25 legislators, ran a coalition government headed by Sayeed for 10 months before his demise on January 7.
The Governor's missive to the leaders of the two parties came after Mehbooba, who is seen as a successor to her father as Chief Minister, talked tough yesterday with regard to continuance of alliance with BJP.
The PDP chief had said she will take a call after "reassessing" whether ally BJP's government at the Centre would take substantive steps in a "set timeframe" to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state.
In the wake of these developments, the state BJP's core group met in Jammu and decided to consult the central leadership before meeting the Governor at 6 PM tomorrow.
Soon after, some state leaders of the party rushed to Delhi to meet BJP chief Amit Shah.
Earlier, after the core group meeting which discussed Mehbooba's statement, BJP leaders said there was "no concrete" demand or condition from PDP but their party was committed to the implementation of "Agenda of Alliance" and address any issues that the ally may have.
State BJP President Sat Sharma said if any issue is raised by PDP, it can be resolved.
"In the past ten months, the development which has taken place was not seen in the past 60 years. Agenda of Alliance is the vision of Narendra Modi and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed to take Jammu and Kashmir forward. If you think the development was slow, then we will make sure that it is speeded up," the state BJP chief said.
"We will meet him (Governor) and today's meeting was regarding our stand on the issue of the formation of government," Sharma said.
Asked if BJP was ready for fresh polls, he said "it would be premature to speak about the issue".
On reports that PDP has made certain demands like transfer of power projects to the state, the state BJP chief said, "PDP might have said it but we have not received anything from them in writing...We will discuss with the Centre and if any such issue comes up, we will tell you for sure."
To queries about Mehbooba's concerns and demands on the issue of implementation of Agenda of Alliance, he said, "No condition has come to us, nobody has discussed anything with us till now. If we get anything in concrete, we will discuss on it. Our condition is only the Agenda of Alliance.
"We will take it forward with full spirit and implement it in the six years' period and make sure that we go a step further then what is written in this Agenda of Alliance."
BJP MP from Jammu Jugal Kishore Sharma said any further step would be taken after discussions between the state and the central leaderships.
Asked how long the government formation process could take, he said "nothing can be said in this regard".
Sharma said the party yesterday received a letter from the Governor, in which he invited them for a meeting at 6 PM tomorrow.
The Governor's consultations with the PDP and BJP are seen as last ditch efforts to avoid snap assembly polls in the state as the regional party has toughened its stand.
At a four-hour long meeting with party leaders yesterday, Mehbooba had said she will take a call on government formation as and when she is convinced that the Modi government would take "substantive" steps within a "set timeframe" to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state.
"The Government of India shall have to take substantive measures towards implementation of the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of Alliance’ in the interest of peace and stability in J-K and for this PDP needs a set timeframe to be worked out," she had said.
Meanwhile, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah today said if PDP is not ready to form the government, fresh elections should be held.
"If PDP is not ready to form the government, then the only option is... call for fresh polls. No other party is ready to form government with them and if PDP also wants the same, then it is time they call for fresh polls. This is what should be done in a democracy," he said.
"We have only 15 MLAs and are in no capacity to form a government," Abdullah said.
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