As the suspense looms over government formation between the PDP and BJP, the latter today said that the PDP has to take the “first step” to end the political stalemate in the state.Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party and Chief Whip of BJP in Rajya Sabha, Avinash Rai Khanna told KNS that PDP should take the “first step” for government formation.“They should elect a legislative party leader first.” Khanna told KNS.“We are committed to implement ‘Agenda of Alliance’ which is for the development and welfare of the people. The agenda was the wish of late Mufti Sahab.” On concrete assurance sought by the PDP to implement AoA, he said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Rs 80,000 crore package for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. “Wasn’t that an assurance that BJP is committed to Agenda of Alliance? It was big indication of commitment from our party and Modi ji,” he said.
Khanna said return of power projects from NHPC to state and few other issues that the PDP has, purportedly, raised “can be discussed between the centre and the state government”.“First, the government should be formed, and then these issues can be taken up and discussed with the Centre. These issues can’t be discussed with a party,” he said.PDP and BJP have held several rounds of closed door parleys to continue their alliance in the state. However, as yet there has been no forward movement between the two parties to form the government.
While the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has demanded "decisive" confidence-building measures from the Centre for "peace and stability” in Jammu & Kashmir, BJP has reiterated that the party was committed to AoA."Effective development and good governance are possible in Jammu & Kashmir only in an environment of peace and stability," Mehbooba had said at a gathering in Vijaypur in Jammu on Saturday.BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Dr Nirmal Singh has said that the government should be formed in the state “without wasting time”.The state is under Governor’s rule after the death of PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7. (KNS)