Jammu & Kashmir: PDP and BJP are so near, yet so far; Mehbooba wants concrete assurances

Just when it looked like Jammu and Kashmir may finally have a government, uncertainty again loomed over it with breakdown of communication between PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and the BJP top brass.

Over two months after chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away, the PDP and BJP are yet to renew their terms of engagement with both sides subtly blaming the other for the delay.

PDP sources said Mehbooba was offered a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which they would say that the Central Government was committed to the Agenda of Alliance drafted between the allies when the Mufti government took over more than a year ago. A meeting with Modi was proposed twice during her visits to Delhi, but she was not interested in forming government without getting concrete assurances from the BJP regarding Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) as well as timelines for their implementation, the sources said. While aligning with the BJP, given its approach to issues panning out at the national level from beef to JNU, was hurting the PDP, the party was prepared to swallow it if the Centre was ready for commitments on state-specific CBMs.

While Mehbooba is awaiting a response on assurances, the BJP is in no mood to make time-bound commitments. Party sources admitted that there was no breakthrough in government formation saying while the BJP was not backing out, it was unwilling to give time-bound assurances on promised made in the Agenda of Alliance which was for six years. While they said back channel talks were on between BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and PDP leaders, a meeting between Mehbooba and top leadership was likely only when there was some clarity on what she expected. They said there was no confusion in the BJP.

However, PDP sources said the BJP has not responded to Mehbooba’s call for CBMs and other proposals for the state. However, there has been no discussion between her and BJP top brass on the timeframe of agenda of alliance.

A source in the Prime Minister’s Office said “ek hath se taali nahi bajti (you cannot clap with one hand)”, indicating that the responsibility of government formation cannot be pinned on the BJP alone.

Amidst the standoff in relations, the PDP is weighing the pros and cons of snap polls in the state, where the governor is persisting with making transfers and appointments, terminating political appointments, getting the ex-ministers’ bungalows vacated and making other policy decisions, sources said.

Meanwhile, governor NN Vohra is understood to have discussed the need for advisors in case governor’s rule continued in the state, when he met home minister Rajnath Singh in the Capital in Saturday. In Jammu and Kashmir, governor’s rule can be imposed for six months after which it would have to come under President’s rule, which can be imposed for two years.

A week ago, Mehbooba seemed to have hinted to her party a softening in her approach on government formation saying she would not insist on Centre initiating CBMs if she felt confident that it was working for the state’s welfare. However, she did add that if it was only for sake of government formation or delaying polls, she was not ready for the alliance.

BJP in no mood to give time-bound commitments

While Mehbooba Mufti is awaiting a response on assurances, the BJP is in no mood to make time-bound commitments. Party sources admitted that there was no breakthrough in government formation saying while the BJP was not backing out, it was unwilling to give time-bound assurances on promised made in the Agenda of Alliance which was for six years. While they said back channel talks were on between BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and PDP leaders, a meeting between Mehbooba and top leadership was likely only when there was some clarity on what she expected. They said there was no confusion in the BJP.