Mehbooba Mufti sets conditions for the BJP

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra’s intervention does not seem to have facilitated a rapprochement between alliance partners People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, as PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti set conditions and demanded “confidence building measures” (CBM) from the Centre.

There still seemed to be a question mark on government-formation with Mufti, who met the local BJP leaders before arriving at the Governor’s residence, hinting that she is not getting the kind of cooperation she desires from the Centre.

While remaining evasive on what she told the Governor over government formation, the PDP chief said, “J&K is a different State, there are different challenges. In J&K, there are several forces which need to be tackled. We need the Centre to be fully with us,” she said.

Repeatedly asked about what she wants from the Centre, Mehbooba said there was a need for CBMs. Refusing to specify the CBMs, she referred to the ‘Agenda of Alliance’, saying it had been firmed up at the highest level by the two parties last year.

Mehbooba said her father’s commitments and vision are “sacred” for her and “if we want to have good government”, measures should be taken to create “good atmosphere” for that.

The ruling alliance was, in the meantime, attacked by the opposition National Conference for triggering a Constitutional crisis in the State. NC leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked Mehbooba Mufti why she did not ask for CBMs and the Centre’s cooperation any time before her father passed away.

“The only thing I don’t get in all this is why Mehbooba didn’t feel the need to ask for this before Mufti saab died?” Abdullah tweeted.

Local NC leaders said the party is fully prepared for a snap poll. “PDP and the BJP have created political uncertainty in J&K. The combine has created a Constitutional crisis,” National Conference provincial president Devedra Singh Rana said.

“The ten-month-long rule on the basis of ‘Agenda for Alliance’ has failed and people have been deceived. They should go to the people again. We are ready for polls,” he said.

The BJP, meanwhile, attacked Mehbooba for her “adamancy”.

“The BJP is sticking to the agenda of alliance,” BJP’s State leader Ashok Kaul told PTI. “The adamancy is from the PDP,” he said.

The BJP’s core group in the State had met on Monday, after which they rushed to Delhi to confer with the party high command. The State leaders met BJP president Amit Shah late on Monday. Indications from the BJP are that they are in no mood to give in to Mehbooba Mufti’s strong arm tactics.

The reason for Mehbooba Mufti’s reluctance to take over the Chief Minister’s post is being explained by local leaders as a result of the PDP losing popular support, owing to its alliance with the ideologically opposite BJP.

The calculation behind Mufti Mohammed Sayeed joining the BJP, after the State threw up a fractured mandate in the polls held last year, was that he would be able to negotiate with the Centre on allocation of resources, as well as on contentious issues such as Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and Article 370.

However, there is growing realisation within the PDP ranks that they have politically lost much more than they were able to gain from the alliance with the BJP.

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