The PDP and the BJP may appear close to an alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, but the last word has not been said and nothing is certain until it is sealed, according to sources in the two parties.
Both camps are uncertain about the likely reaction of the people supporting them to the proposed alliance. Ongoing activities in the PDP and the BJP indicate serious nervousness in arriving at a decision on government formation.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has asked for a meeting with State Governor N.N. Vohra on December 31, a day before the deadline given by the latter, and according to sources in the party, she is likely to ask for more time before taking any decision regarding government formation.
“The meeting with the Governor has been advanced on the request of Mehbooba ji and she will be meeting him this Wednesday at Raj Bhawan in Jammu,” chief spokesperson of the PDP, Naeem Akhter told The Hindu.
The delay in making any decision by the PDP, in a way, reflects the difficulties and dangers that surround the party’s next step, more so if it is towards the BJP.
“It is a terribly difficult verdict and Mufti Sahib [Mufti Mohammad Sayeed] is the man in most difficulty. The BJP is also facing a difficult time as it had made tall promises to people in Jammu about appointing a Hindu Chief Minister and breaking the dynasty rule in the State,” a senior PDP leader told The Hindu. “They [BJP] also have to be careful as they are treading a difficult path.”
The BJP high command held a meeting with its legislators in Delhi on Monday to discuss the J&K situation. The party has to decide on its Hindu CM demand and arrive at a common ground with the PDP to be a part of the government in the State.
However, the pressure is far more on the PDP to make a decision which, while being politically expedient, does not cut the party’s growing roots in the Valley.
The PDP has to think about the impact of a possible alliance with the BJP on the voters in Srinagar, where, for the first time, the party has bagged five of the eight seats in the region.
“It is a fact that people voted for us believing that we would save them from the BJP and the RSS. And if we go with the BJP now, they will see it a colossal betrayal and it will surely be a disaster in at least Srinagar,” a senior PDP leader and legislator from Srinagar told The Hindu.
PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, on Sunday, sought one-on-one consultation with his legislators. Now, party sources said, they have widened the net of consultations to include the voices of their workers and members of civil society.
“Mufti sahib wants a ground report and he does not want to be disrespectful to the people and their mandate. So we are going to take time. He is a man of patience and the PDP will seek more time from the Governor to make any decision,” a senior PDP leader said.
“Our big problem with the BJP is that we really do not understand them. Even Mufti Sahib does not understand Modi and Amit Shah. They are not the old school leaders with whom one can really reason things out,” the PDP leader added.
