Peoples’ Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, on Sunday said that it would form the new government in Jammu and Kashmir with its alliance partner BJP only if and when the latter assures it that
Peoples’ Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, on Sunday said that it would form the new government in Jammu and Kashmir with its alliance partner BJP only if and when the latter assures it that her father and former chief minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s, vision would be fulfilled.
This corroborates an earlier report published in this newspaper in its January 26 issue that the PDP president is waiting for certain clear-cut assurances from the BJP leadership and the government at the highest level on the future relationship between the two sides and also on the Centre-state dealings, mainly on economic front, before moving forward on the issue of government formation. As already reported, the PDP wants liberal funding from the Centre to ensure revolutionary development of Jammu and Kashmir and, as a first step in this direction, an inclusive package for the rehabilitation of the sufferers of September 2014 floods.
It has also asked for return of the power projects currently under National Hydel Power Corporation. It is quite unhappy over the Centre’s “unilateral trimming” from the Prime Minister’s “development package” the equity assured to the state for buying back two power projects from the NHPC that had received clearance from the PMO. It has also said that the lakhs of acres of land under illegal occupation of Army and other security forces would be taken back or would be asked to pay compensation for it as per the market rate.
On the political front, it wants assurance from the BJP that the Sangh Parivar will no more use proxies to fiddle with the state’s special status, guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution, nor will be the contentious issue like state flag raised by it as such pastime causes embarrassment to the PDP in its bastion.
Kashmir watchers say Sayeed agreed to cobble an alliance with the ideologically-divergent BJP to form a government with a view to replicate the success story of the state’s Prime Minister Ghulam Muhammad Bakshi. But poor funding from the Centre shattered his development dream for the state. These watchers do not expect any dramatic reversal of fortune for his daughter who also understands the PDP’s joining hands with the BJP has only cost it politically dear.
There is a strong line of thinking in the PDP rank and file that its alliance with the BJP has only proved detrimental to its (PDP’s) interests and halted its growth, particularly in Kashmir Valley. Several party men who spoke at Sunday’s meeting voiced this concern. Though the meeting was called necessarily to discuss party affairs, several speakers including former ministers and lawmakers talked on the corollary of PDP’s tie up with the BJP and sought Ms. Mufti’s view on future relationship with the saffron party and on government formation. As reported before Ms. Mufti has been authorised by the party to take the final call on the crucial question of continuing with its alliance with the BJP or call it off. Jammu and Kashmir was brought under Governor’s rule as the alliance partners PDP and BJP failed to form the new government following the demise of Chief Minister Mr. Sayeed in a Delhi hospital on January 7. The PDP has been maintaining that Agenda of Alliance, the common-minimum programme reached between the two sides for government formation is a “sacred document” and wants its implementation on ground in letter and spirit to ensure the State’s inclusive development.
