BJP wants strong signal from Mehbooba that all’s well

Government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, which looked imminent after Tuesday’s meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, may still take some time.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, instrumental in forging the alliance between the parties, said no new conditions had been accepted at the meeting between Mr. Modi and Ms. Mufti.

“The Prime Minister asked the PDP chief to speak to BJP leaders and decide the future course of action. Mehboobaji wanted the Prime Minister’s blessings and Modiji assured her of all help,” he said.

Mr. Madhav’s remarks indicated that while the photo-op with the Prime Minister was all well, the BJP was awaiting a strong signal from Ms. Mufti that things were on track. Her vacillation for the past two months had not gone down well with the BJP. Just because of this, a meeting between Ms. Mufti and Mr. Modi was cancelled at the last minute last week.

Mr. Madhav told The Hindu that the BJP would wait for the PDP legislature party meeting scheduled for Thursday.

“They are having their meeting tomorrow [March 24], and the BJP will be having its legislature party meeting the next day. Things will be clearer thereafter,” he said.

Denying that any special demands were raised by the PDP chief, Mr. Madhav said, “We are of the view that whatever Mufti Sahab left behind should be taken forward, and we are willing to take it forward in the same form.”

Since January, the PDP had been blowing hot and cold over government formation, after the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

“They are having their meeting tomorrow [March 24], and the BJP will be having its legislature party meeting the next day. Things will be clearer thereafter,” he said.

Denying any special demands being raised by the PDP chief, Mr. Madhav said: “No such demands were raised by the PDP.”

“We are of the view that whatever the Mufti Sahab left behind should be taken forward, and we are willing to take it forward in the same form,” he said.

Since January, the PDP had been blowing hot and cold over government formation, after the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.