BJP Holds Talks with People's Democratic Party Over Jammu and Kashmir Government Formation

Srinagar: The People's Democratic Party or PDP and the BJP have initiated talks to forge an alliance to form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir. Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav held a marathon meeting with PDP Member of Parliament and its senior leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig in Srinagar late on Thursday evening.

This was first direct contact between the two parties after the PDP and the BJP emerged as the first and second largest parties, respectively, in the deeply fractured verdict of the Jammu and Kashmir elections. The PDP has won 28 seats and the BJP won 25 seats, both parties far from the requisite 44 seats to form the government.

Mr Baig has been in favour of an alliance with the BJP, but there are strong voices within the PDP who have opposed the alliance because of strong ideological reasons.

It's not clear if Mr Baig has the mandate of top PDP leaders like Mufti Mohammad Sayeed or Mehbooba Mufti to initiate talks with the BJP.  In the past, Mr Baig has made statements that were not in line with his party's official policy.

Mr Madhav, a BJP General Secretary, arrived here this evening from Jammu and held two separate rounds of talks with Mr Baig.

Mr Madhav, who attended a meeting of BJP's newly-elected legislators in Jammu earlier in the day, also held a series of meetings in Srinagar with leaders of other Valley-based political parties.

Mr Baig, earlier in the day, said leaders of the BJP and PDP should talk to each other to form the next government.

PDP spokesman Samir Koul told news agency Press Trust of India late tonight that lines of communication have been opened for government formation.

"Talks are going on with the BJP over government-formation in the state but we are still at infancy stage. It will take some time before we can make any announcements," Mr Koul said.
Asked if the PDP would agree to rotational chief ministership with the BJP, Mr Koul said, "Not at this moment".