With no breakthrough in sight over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah took a dig at Peoples Democratic Party alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and has called for fresh elections.
Abdullah said, “If Mehbooba Mufti can’t rise to the occasion she should end PDP’s alliance with the BJP based on PDP’s alleged reservations and regrets over the previous ten months and we can go back to the people again for fresh elections.”
Governor’s Rule was imposed in the state with effect from January 8, a day after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death, as the PDP and BJP, alliance partners in state government since March 1, 2015, failed to stake claim for formation of a new dispensation.
The PDP Core Group also held a meeting on Sunday and indicated it was veering to the idea of forming a coalition government with BJP, but Mehbooba Mufti told the meeting that she was in no hurry to take over as chief minister.
Here is the full statement of Omar Abdullah:
From the statement issued to the media at the conclusion of today’s meeting by the PDP, it has become evident that the PDP-BJP Alliance stands, that no conditions have been set by the PDP, that no negotiations are being conducted and the formation of the new PDP-BJP Government is a foregone conclusion.
While the PDP has declared that the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ is a “sacred document” and that PDP continues to be in awe of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is an inexplicable delay in Government formation. The common perception is that this is being done to salvage some bare minimum credibility for the PDP and to create a smokescreen of stiff morality. The people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to be deprived of an elected Government while two political parties with a combined majority continue to be in an alliance – which is bizarre and unprecedented. This posturing and political drama comes at the cost of uncertainty, instability and chaos in the State.
Mehbooba Mufti (or PDP for that matter) has two options – to either deliver on the promises made to the people of J&K or to break the alliance with the BJP. To hang on to this alliance with the BJP for dear life while pretending to be the unwavering example of high morality is akin to aspiring to have the cake and eat it too. If Mehbooba Mufti can’t rise to the occasion she should end PDP’s alliance with the BJP based on PDP’s alleged reservations and regrets over the previous ten months and we can go back to the people again for fresh elections.
The longer Mehbooba Mufti delays the imminent Government formation with the BJP, the more people will expect her to extract concessions from the Center. I wish her the best of luck in her political games with the genuine disappointment that these political games and theatrics come at a grave cost to the common man in J&K who continues to be surrounded by an eerie political uncertainty.