Ram Madhav is hopeful on J&K govt formation

Asserting that there will be “no dilution” or “any new addition” in the “agenda of alliance” firmed up between PDP and BJP last year, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday sounded “positive” over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. After over a month-long logjam, the BJP has indicated its willingness to accept PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s demand for time-bound implementation of certain elements of the common agenda.

Mr Madhav, who flew to Srinagar on Wednesday for a brief visit and held talks with Ms Mufti, hoped that the alliance formed in March last year would continue on the basis of “previous arrangement”. On his talks with Ms Mufti, he said this was the first detailed discussion between the two parties over the government formation.

“Talks were positive... I hope there will be continuation of previous arrangement,” the BJP leader said who conveyed to the PDP leader that the government under her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was running well on the basis of the common minimum programme and BJP wanted the arrangement to continue. He said the coalition will work on the basis of “agenda of alliance” firmed up between the two parties last year and insisted that “there will be no dilution” or “any new addition” in it.

At the same time, he said BJP is willing to discuss bringing into a “timeline” a “few issues” which have found a mention in the alliance’s CMP, implying readiness to accept Ms Mufti’s demand in this regard.

The leaders of PDP will arrive here shortly to discuss these issues with BJP leaders as well as ministers since some of them concern the government, Mr Madhav said.

Mr Madhav denied a media report which said that BJP has agreed to revoke AFSPA from some areas of Kashmir on trial basis, claiming that there has been no discussion on it with Ms Mufti.

PDP-BJP ran a 10-month coalition government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed till his sudden death on January 7. But Ms Mufti, seen as his successor, did not stake claim to form the next government and infact hardened her stance, saying PDP “cannot move forward” in forming government with BJP unless the Centre takes “tangible” CBMs to address the causes of alienation and works towards a lasting solution to the state’s problems. The logjam continued for about 40 days,

The PDP chief, who was invited by Governor N N Vohra on February 2 for consultations on government formation, told him that she would like to see the Centre take “concrete steps” to address causes of the state’s “political uncertainty, economic disempowerment, development deficit, unfulfilled promises” before she makes any moves to form the government with BJP.