J&K Govt Formation: PDP Gears Up Intra-Party Consultations

SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday intensified intra-party consultations over possible alliances for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of discussions with state governor N.N. Vohra likely this week.

“There was an informal interaction with the newly elected MLAs of the party today to discuss the various possibilities on forging an alliance for government formation in the state,” PDP chief spokesman Naeem Akhtar told.

Akhtar maintained that all options, including an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were open for PDP, which emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats in the just-concluded election to the 87-member Assembly in the state.

“We are in the process of forming a consensus within the party before the leadership meets the governor,” he said. Vohra had on Friday sent separate letters to PDP and BJP, inviting their respective leaders—Mehbooba Mufti (PDP president) and Jugal Kishore Sharma (state president of BJP) for discussions over government formation before 1 January.

PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who has been keeping a low profile since election results were declared, on Sunday stepped out of his Gupkar Road residence for the first time in week for a medical check-up.

“He (Sayeed) had an eye surgery some time back and had gone for a follow-up check-up,” Akhtar said. PDP had on Saturday set tough conditions for BJP which is wooing it for the formation of the new government in the state, declaring that its stand against revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution (special status to J&K) was “non-negotiable”.

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