PDP chief calls party meet today, govt formation may figure in discussion

In the first signs of ending the 9-day impasse over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has called a meeting of her party’s extended core group here on Sunday which is expected to deliberate on the future course of action and ties with the BJP.

“The PDP president has convened a meeting of the extended core group of the party tomorrow (Sunday) at her residence in the afternoon,” a senior PDP leader said.

He said those invited to the meeting include the party MPs, former ministers, and the senior party office bearers.

This will be the first formal party meeting to be chaired by Mehbooba since the death of her father and then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7.

As the PDP and the BJP, which ruled the state in an alliance from March 1 till Sayeed’s death, did not stake claim for fresh government formation, the state was put under Governor’s rule on January 8.

The BJP has maintained that the PDP has to make the first move by electing its legislature party leader before they can extend support to the regional party for government formation in the state. The PDP, on its part, has said it will review the implementation of its Agenda of Alliance with the BJP during the 10-month coalition before deciding on its next course of action. Sources in the PDP said channels of communication between the two parties were already open and they were expected to come up with a decision on government formation soon.

“With the eight-day mourning period over, there is all possibility that a contact at the highest level will be made in the coming days,” said a senior PDP leader and former minister in the J&K government. “The formal and informal contacts are already there and the results on government formation are expected shortly.”

In a visit seen by many as a form of assurance from the Centre, Union finance secretary Ratan P Watal met Mehbooba last week and “discussed allocation of funds for various development projects in the Valley.” Watal is considered the architect of the Rs 80,000 crore development package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015.

PDP sources said that Member of Parliament and senior leader Muzaffar Beig, who was earlier unhappy with the PDP-BJP functioning, is now keenly participating in all informal meetings on government formation.