File photo of Mufti Mohammed Saeed.
Jammu and Kashmir could have its new government soon. The two parties that placed first and second - the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP - have reached an agreement that helps bridge the gap between them on issues that are key for the state including Article 370, which gives Kashmir special status under the constitution.
The Chief Minister of the state will be PDP leader Mufti Mohammed Saeed, who is 79. The BJP, as the junior partner, will get the post of Deputy Chief Minister for its 59-year-old leader Nirmal Singh, said sources.
The partnership is to be announced next week, after which the coalition will approach Governor NN Vohra to stake its claim to form the government. The election was held nearly two months ago.
The PDP, which swept the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, has been firmly opposed to any attempt to weaken Article 370, which is seen as vital for the autonomy of state by residents. It makes the consent of the state government necessary for laws except those related to defence or national security. As a regional party, the PDP has also asked for the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives the army the authority to make arrests without warrants.
In the past, BJP leaders have suggested that the need for Article 370 should be debated because it promotes separatism.
"Article 370 is a very important and core issue for us, everybody understands this... it is a problem that has defied a solution for the last 70 years... so if we are trying to resolve it constitutionally, democratically, why should anybody have reservations on that," said Nayeem Akhar of the PDP.
The BJP, fronted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won its best-ever result in India's only Muslim-majority state, but its gains were made entirely in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region. If the party comes to power with the PDP, it will have formed the government in four of five states that have held elections since the PM took office.