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| Fractured verdict may trigger trifurcation debate | | Rotational CM | | Rustam
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 28: The fractured verdict has further complicated the already rather complex political situation in the border and militant-infested Jammu & Kashmir State. The nature of the verdict is such that no political party can form government in the state without compromising its ideology. The PDP, which won 28 seats (25 from Kashmir and three from Jammu), has made it clear that it would seek an alliance only with a political party that endorses its political and developmental agenda. "We want a government where we should be able to deliver on our political and developmental agenda", chief spokesperson of the PDP Nayeem Akhtar on Saturday said, adding that "his party is not negotiating for the other parties just for the sake of government formation".
"There is nothing to be enjoyed in the government. It is no bed of roses. The state is almost bankrupt, there is lack of development, unemployment, there is no synergy between the regions. There are certain issues which form our core agenda and require an assurance that these will be accepted by our potential alliance partner, whichever party it might be. His party's stand on safeguarding Article 370 is non-negotiable and party is committed on revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the State, besides initiating a political process for resolution of Kashmir issue," he also said in unequivocal terms. Reports also suggest that the PDP would form a coalition government with a party that allows Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to lead the state for a full term of six years.
The same day, the BJP also made it loud and clear that while it was willing to work with any political party, including the PDP and the NC but not with the Congress, subject to the condition that its would-be-an-ally will have to accept its three conditions. "No disturbance of sovereignty and national interests, equal distribution of the power in three regions of the state and state's development should be priorities are our three conditions. We have put forth these conditions before the People's Democratic Party and National Conference," said a senior BJP leader.
PDP chief spokesperson Akhtar acknowledged that yes, the BJP has put forth these three conditions. Significantly, the BJP has reportedly told the PDP leadership that it would want rotational Chief Minister.
Interestingly, the National Conference, which has 15 MLAs, and the Congress, with 12 MLAs, have offered unconditional support to the PDP. But the problem of the PDP is that it cannot stitch an alliance either with the NC or with the Congress. It cannot form a coalition government with the Congress because it does not have a single non-Muslim MLA. The PDP think-tanks believe that an alliance with the Congress would create serious problems for the state government, as the people of Jammu would have no say in the matters relating to governance. Both the parties share between them 40 seats and they would need the support of at least 4 independent MLAs. The PDP is also unwilling to stitch an alliance with its arch-political rival, the NC, because the core constituency of both these parties is Kashmir. But more than that, the PDP is averse to the idea of forging an alliance with a party that was rejected by the people of Kashmir in the assembly elections because it had become very unpopular.
Thus, the only possibility that exists in the state is the formation of a coalition government either headed by the PDP or the BJP. Even here there is a serious problem. As said, the PDP wants the office of chief minister for six years, a proposition which the BJP may not accept given the fact that a number of smaller political parties in Jammu have demanded that the new Chief Minister has to be from Jammu province as the people of this region voted for this. The Panthers Party on Saturday even challenged the BJP, saying if it failed to get Chief Minister from Jammu, the Panthers Party would demand trifurcation of the state. "This is first time in the history of J&K that BJP got 25 assembly seats from Jammu Pradesh and it is now their responsibility to fulfill the aspiration of the people of Jammu region by giving them Chief Minister from Jammu region, adding if BJP failed in this the people of Jammu Pardesh should get ready for separate state for Jammu, which is the ultimate solution to end the discrimination with Jammu region," said the JKNPP president, Balwant Singh Mankotia, on Saturdaywhile addressing a large gathering at Udhampur. Besides, the JKNPP, a number of other smaller political groups have also expressed an identical view and said that the 2014 election verdict is for the state's trifurcation.
The PDP and the BJP cannot ignore the developing situation in the state which is becoming more and more complicated with each passing day because the interests are conflicting and mutually exclusive. The controversy over who should lead the next state government is bitter and it will be seen who blinks first. But the fact remains that the fractured verdict has the potential of unleashing forces which would strengthen the votaries of the state's trifurcation. |
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