Mehbooba Mufti's departure for Delhi was preceded by that of three senior leaders of PDP. (File Photo)
Highlights
- Meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah failed to yield a breakthrough last week
- Arun Jaitley has said "party fully committed to the agenda for alliance"
- Ms Mufti refused to take oath as chief minister till key demands are met
Mehbooba Mufti is flying to Delhi today in what is seen as a signal of new hope for talks between her People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
After a
meeting with BJP president Amit Shah failed to yield a breakthrough last week, Ms Mufti had returned to Jammu and Kashmir, with top leaders of her party saying there was little hope now of bridging a yawning gap between the parties to renew their partnership and form government together in the state.
Her decision to visit Delhi comes after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at the BJP's national executive meeting on the weekend that the party is "fully committed to the agenda for alliance" signed with the PDP when the two parties joined hands last year to govern Jammu and Kashmir.
That partnership was scripted by Mehbooba Mufti's father and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Saeed, who died in early January this year. Mehbooba Mufti has refused since to take oath as chief minister till some key demands of her party are met by the Centre, where the BJP is in power.
The PDP has asked for written assurances and argues that it is only demanding the implementation of things agreed upon in their agenda for alliance.
On Friday last, a day after a warm meeting between Ms Mufti and Amit Shah, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said, "The Centre is always ready to look into the demands of a state government but meeting demands as a condition for government formation is not acceptable," and admitted that the "stalemate continues."
Ms Mufti's departure for Delhi was preceded by that of three senior leaders of her party this morning fuelling hope in Jammu and Kashmir that channels of communication with the BJP have been once again opened.
Ideological opposites BJP and PDP had joined hands last after no party got a majority in state elections. The PDP is the largest party with 28 seats - now 27 following Mr Sayeed's death - in the 87-member house. The BJP is second with 25 seats.