As deadlock over government formation continues, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has approached People Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Syed through its senior leader L.K Advani about the formation of new government, KNS has learnt.One of the senior BJP leaders wishing anonymity told KNS that former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani discussed the issue with Mufti over telephone. “The negotiations between PDP and BJP are going on at different levels and in this regard Advani called Mufti,” he said.He, however, accepted that there had been no forward movement as both parties resort to bargaining to gain maximum leverage before coming up with Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for running the coalition government.BJP’s state vice president Remesh Arora didn’t confirm the development and said that “our top leaders are in touch with Mufti.”“I cannot say whether Advani Sahab has called Mufti Sahab or not but I can confirm you that our top leaders are in touch with Mufti,” he told KNS and added that it would take time for the party to cobble up coalition for forming the government in the State.
Meanwhile, sources said that BJP is trying to woo Mufti on developmental plank and centre package for the unemployed youth. “The party has assured all possible central assistance to Mufti but he is demanding political guarantees from the saffron party,” sources told KNS.
The election results in J&K threw up a hung Assembly with PDP emerging as the single-largest party with 28 seats and BJP second largest with 25 seats, all from Jammu region. NC and Congress won 15 and 12 seats respectively while the smaller parties and independent candidates won seven seats.It is to mention here that the congress, which has got 12 seats, had offered unconditional support to PDP in government formation, while NC has also offered unconditional support to PDP in government formation. Senior Congress leader and former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had proposed grand alliance of NC-Congress-PDP to keep BJP away. (KNS)