File photo: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti
As suspense over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir continued, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today said the idea of a grand alliance with the National Conference and the Congress was an option for forming a stable government in the state.
"A grand alliance with PDP, National Conference and Congress as partners is also an option," PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar told PTI.
Mr Akhtar said it was one of the options that can be explored to form a stable government in the state and also fulfill the aspirations of all the regions of the state.
PDP has emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member Assembly followed closely by BJP with 25 seats while NC bagged 15. While Congress won 12 seats, smaller parties and independents got seven seats.
No political party has been able to yet muster the support of 44 legislators, which is required to form the government in the state.
The Congress, the National Conference and several independents have offered support to the PDP over government formation.
Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is slated to meet Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra on Wednesday to discuss government-formation.
"The meeting of Mehbooba Mufti, Member of Parliament and President of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the Governor has been pre-poned to take place on Wednesday at the Raj Bhavan in Jammu," a Raj Bhavan spokesman said today.
Mr Vohra had on Friday invited Ms Mehbooba and BJP state unit president Jugal Kishore Sharma for separate meetings to hold discussions on the formation of government in the state.
PDP, which is holding intra-party discussions on possible alliances to form the next government in the state, has asked its newly-elected legislators to go back to their constituencies to get feedback from their constituents on such a possibility.
At the end of two days of informal consultations with the party legislators, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed told them that they should go back to their respective areas to sense the mood of the people on the possibility of allying with the BJP for formation of the next government, PDP sources said.
The sources said the PDP patron wants to build a consensus within the party before Mehbooba Mufti meets the Governor.
On Saturday, PDP reportedly set tough conditions for the BJP, declaring that its stand against revocation of Article 370 was "non-negotiable".
In the midst of these deliberations, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and working president Omar Abdullah today reportedly issued a gag order to the party leaders, asking them to desist from speaking to the media over policy issues including the post-assembly-poll scenario.
"Farooq and Omar have authorized National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, provincial presidents for Jammu and Kashmir Devender Singh Rana and Nasir Aslam Wani respectively and spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu to speak on behalf of the party on policy issues including the post-assembly-polls policy and stands of the party," the party said in a statement in Srinagar.
It said the statements made by the other party leaders should be taken as their personal opinions. The NC said the party general secretary would coordinate briefings among these office bearers.