PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti with BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday (Press Trust of India photo)
The BJP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sat down till late Wednesday night to iron out last-minute differences that briefly threatened to derail their alliance to form government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources say the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, which appeared uncertain, will now take place on Friday as scheduled.
As the two parties returned to the negotiating table, there were worries about a delay in the swearing-in ceremony, which is to take place on Sunday.
Mr Sayeed, who is likely to take oath as chief minister, is expected to formally invite PM Modi to the ceremony during their meeting.
The BJP, say sources, panicked yesterday following reports that it may have been severely compromised on its core issues in sealing the tie-up with the PDP.
The two parties, ideological opposites, are expected to govern the state on the basis of the common minimum programme. They spent the last two months in attempts to bridge huge political and ideological differences.
On Tuesday, two months after election results were declared in the state, BJP chief Amit Shah announced that his party will partner with the PDP to form government. "We have reached some sort of consensus on a common minimum programme," he said.
Sources said the BJP and PDP have agreed to maintain the state's constitutional status - a key demand of Mr Mufti, who has firmly opposed any attempt to weaken Article 370, which grants special status to J&K.
On Wednesday, the ruling BJP told Parliament that there was no proposal to delete Article 370.
On the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFPSA which gives the Army legal immunity while dealing with militancy and authority to make arrests without warrants, the two parties have agreed to the gradual replacement of the military with the local police and paramilitary forces in areas where the security situation has improved, sources said.