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| 'BJP conceded more Ministerial berths to PDP' | | Ditching Jammu for power | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 16: Gone are the days when the people of Jammu region alone would accuse the BJP of ditching its Jammu constituency for the sake of some loaves and fishes of office. The situation has now changed and changed to the extent that even Kashmiri opinion makers like Sheikh Shabir have started sharing the view of the ditched and humiliated people of Jammu region.
They have started saying that though the PDP and the BJP had almost equal number of legislators, it was the PDP which made the BJP to concede most of its demands, including the demands seeking the office of Chief Minister for a full term of six years and more Ministerial berths to his party.
"By winning 25 seats in 2014 Assembly polls, BJP had not only silenced its critics but also set the cat among the pigeons of the other regional parties, especially, the ones with a strong voter base in the Jammu region. Moreover, it has to be admitted that the 25-seat-win had opened the floodgates for BJP to form Government in the State for the first time. And hence reap rich dividends in terms of strengthening its voter base in its stronghold - the Hindu dominated Jammu region - as well as widen its circle of political influence over the larger electorate in the State. To achieve these goals, BJP took the decision to be part of the coalition Government. PDP had won majority of the seats, 28 in the elections. For this power sharing equation, BJP agreed to give a full six-year term to PDP patron as CM and also conceded more Ministerial berths to the CM's party," Sheikh Shabir, for example, has said.
He not only gave full credit to the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for the power-sharing deal that his party struck with the BJP, but has also said that the PDP played the upper hand as was clear from late Chief Minister's intent.
"The PDP played the upper hand as was clear from late CM's intent. For example, the CM credited militants, separatists and Pakistan for the smooth conduct of 2014 Assembly polls in the State. And then went on to see the release of separatist leader Masrat Aalam Bhat".
Sheikh Shabir and his ilk have expressed the view that the BJP could offer more portfolios to the PDP in its desperate bid to become part of the State Government. "The party (BJP) may offer sacrifices in terms of portfolios so that it again shares power with PDP".
At the same time, they have advised the BJP not to rake up sensitive issues as some in the party did during the time of Mufti Sayeed. "The party brought to Central stage issue after issue. Issues like Article 35 A, settlement of West Pakistan refugees, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, beef ban and hoisting of State flag - all were raked up by the party. These issues divided the State along communal and religious lines, and for most of the time it appeared that the alliance may have a tragic end. But no such thing happened for which the credit goes to Sayeed and his political acumen," they have said.
Now that even Kashmiri opinion makers have endorsed the view of the people of Jammu region that the power-sharing deal between the PDP and the BJP was PDP and Kashmir-centric, it is time for the BJP to rectify its past mistakes and ensure that the people of Jammu region obtained what thy rightfully deserved in the State polity. But it is difficult to say if the BJP would do that. Reports from 11 Ashoka Road, New Delhi, and Pt Prem Nath Dogra Bhawan, Kachi Chowni, Jammu, suggest that the BJP could offer more to the PDP than what it offered to it in February-March 2015, as the BJP high command wants an alliance with the PDP at any cost. |
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