Congress tries to tap National Conference, Independents in J&K

As suspense continues over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress is reportedly trying to tap Independents and holding parleys with the National Conference for outside support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP government.

There were indications of covert talks between the Congress and PDP after Congress president Sonia Gandhi met Ms Mufti after the death of her father, J&K chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

If there was speculation that the Congress was tapping the NC to come on board for outside support to the Mehbooba government, former CM and NC working president Omar Abdullah targeted the PDP, saying, “To hang on to this alliance with the BJP for dear life while pretending to be the unwavering example of high morality is akin to aspiring to have the cake and eat it too. If Mehbooba Mufti can’t rise to the occasion, she should end PDP’s alliance with the BJP based on PDP’s alleged reservations and regrets over the previous 10 months and we can go back to the people again for fresh elections.”

Besides being reportedly upset with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not attending her father’s funeral, Ms Mufti has conveyed her apprehensions to the BJP over issues related to the Agenda of Alliance.

Ms Mufti was wary of RSS affiliates, like the VHP, which had already challenged Article 370 which gives J&K special status. It may be recalled that VHP leader Praveen Togadia had said that “Article 370 will have to go”. He had observed that the “Prime Minister can become MP from any part of the country but he cannot contest even municipal corporation elections in Srinagar. We are not going to tolerate it anymore.”

Despite the delay in government formation, the BJP appeared confident that the PDP would follow “coalition dharma”. BJP leaders argued that Ms Mehbooba Mufti “has no choice as she does not have the numbers to form government on her own”. The BJP was also confident that the PDP “will not commit hara-kiri by going with the Congress as the government, if formed, will remain highly unstable.”

Despite being confident, some BJP functionaries indicated that PDP leaders, while expressing resentment at the PM’s absence from Mufti Sayeed’s funeral, had pointed out that former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee and deputy PM L.K. Advani “respected coalition dharma” by attending the funeral of Begum Akbar Jahan, mother of Dr Farooq Abdullah.

However, the BJP has apparently assured Ms Mufti that it would abide by the Agenda of Alliance and that there would be “no deviation”. Yet the delay and her statement to a news agency that “no one can force a decision on her” continue to perturb the BJP.