BJP takes London route to reach Nawai Subh
Jaitley’s emissaries meet NC president in British capital
Who says perpendicular distance is the shortest one? Politics can take any route.
The rightwing Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has taken the London route to reach National Conference’s Nawai Subh headquarters in Srinagar.
Senior BJP leader and Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley’s emissaries met NC President, Farooq Abdullah in London and discussed the possibility of an alliance between the two parties for government formation and Rajya Sabha polls.
Sources in BJP said Jaitley had sent some of his close aides to meet Farooq in London, where he underwent a kidney transplant.
They said Jaitley’s emissaries discussed the possibility of an alliance between NC and BJP for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir and for the Rajya Sabha polls, which are scheduled for February 7.
Jaitley and Farooq have been friends and share a good equation ever since the two parties were in an alliance in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at New Delhi.
Senior BJP leaders, who are not authorized to talk to media, confirmed the meeting between Jaitley’s emissaries and Farooq Abdullah in London.
However, NC’s Additional General Secretary, Mustafa Kamal told there was no contact between BJP and NC at any level.
“Our Working President Omar Abdullah has ruled out any kind of a tie up between the two parties,” he said.
Kamal said Jaitley’s point men might have called on Farooq for discussing a strategy for the Rajya Sabha polls not for the government formation in the State.
He said NC has nothing to take from BJP for Rajya Sabha polls too.
“Arun Jaitley is a friend of Farooq sahab and friendships do not disappear,” Kamal said.
He said BJP was constantly stating that it was in talks with both NC and PDP just to keep their cadres in good humour.
“Our leadership at the highest level has maintained that we aren’t in any type of talks with BJP,” Kamal said. “So there is no room for double talk.”
Jaitley and Farooq had developed strained relations after exchanging some heated words with Farooq saying that those who vote for Narendra Modi should jump in the sea and Jaitley reacting saying that the NC leader should “take a dip in the Dal Lake”.
However, with Jaitley sending emissaries to Farooq in London, old friends seem to have ended their recent bitterness.
