Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 16: Worried over continued silence of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti over government formation in the state, the BJP, which is seen by many people as power hungry, is likely to sacrifice the post of Deputy Chief Minister for continuing its alliance with the PDP.
Moreover, Mehbooba Mufti is also being assured that the Centre, where the BJP is in power, would provide liberal funding to Jammu Kashmir for development and flood relief measures.
Though no formal decision has yet been taken in this regard, sources informed that the party high command has been conveyed about the PDP's silence over formation of government in alliance with the BJP and discussions in this regard were on awaiting nod of national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Notably, after the death of PDP patron and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti has purportedly set three conditions for continuing alliance with BJP and formation of government in Jammu and Kashmir.
These conditions include liberal Central funding to J&K, no public statements by BJP leaders on contentious issues, and scraping the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
According to the sources, the BJP has already made it clear to PDP that it had no issue as far as first two conditions were concerned and in this regard, a top officer of the Union Finance Ministry had met Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday evening.
The only hitch was the PDP demand for scrapping the post of Deputy Chief Minister, which was with the BJP and surrendering the same is ought to send wrong signals in Jammu besides further denting the party image.
However, sourced informed that during discussion between Rajnath Singh and Ram Madhav on Friday, the party leaders have informally agreed also to surrender the post of Deputy Chief Minister for fulfilling all the three conditions set by PDP.
This will be conveyed to PDP after seeking a final nod from party president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources hinted. |
