PDP-BJP govt will be in place by Feb 10: Madhav

The BJP-PDP coalition government will be in place in Jammu and Kashmir by February 10, said BJP national general secretary, Ram Madhav Sunday in an interview with a Delhi-based news channel.
“Although we are very close to forming a government with our alliance partner PDP in J&K and we will still wait when it is done completely, but in politics nothing is final until it is really final,” Madhav said in an interview with News X.
The BJP leader said the party expected to chalk out common minimum programme (CMP) for coalition formation with PDP soon. “Yes of course we are in talks with PDP and we hope to reach a common understanding very soon.”
Referring to the efforts of BJP to iron out the differences over some policies issues, Madhav said: “The issues continue to be there, the biggest challenge for the party is to overcome the major ideological differences between the two. The very fact that government formation is taking a bit long is because there are certain hurdles between the parties that need to be worked out.”
“It is the question of common understanding in which we develop a common minimum understanding. Every party has issues and here in our case we too have issues but the thing is we are working to sort them out.”
Regarding the contentious issues which are taking time to be sorted out, he said: “I don’t want to hide those issues because they are in the public knowledge. Issues are special status to J&K that it enjoys in our constitution, certain Acts that are there in state. We have different views on the issues, PDP has their own view and we have ours.”
Responding to a question about the BJP getting mandate in Jammu and its rejection in Kashmir, Madhav said: “That is the biggest challenge before both of us (PDP and BJP). The election results should not be merely analyzed by numbers alone. One has to understand the mandate properly and the desires of people properly. It has to be a combination of two parties which is the only workable proposition of the state.”
Referring to the differences in aspiration in the two regions of the state, he said: “As you know Valley always dominates the state. Different sentiments guide people in different regions. Jammu people have many feelings which are very important especially for BJP because we have the mandate in Jammu.”
“Similarly Kashmiri people may have some sort of feeling which might be important to parties of valley. It is something we have to tackle very carefully.”
Madhav said BJP had worked hard for its “Mission 44 plus” in J&K. “We could not achieve ‘Mission 44+’ which is a disappointment for us but we have not said during our election campaigning that it was the only goal, we had other goals too.”
“I can tell you about the goals that we have successfully achieved and that is why we are in a position where no government will b formed in the state without BJP.”
Regarding the issue of Chief Ministerial post, he said: “We are approaching this issue with an open mind and when I say this I want to give credit to PDP also. So far my experience with PDP leaders in past two weeks is concerned I can say that their approach towards this issue is also positive. The good thing is both of us are tackling this issue with an open mind so that no one feels betrayed.”
Referring to the formal negotiations, he said: “We just have to start formal negotiations. A group of leaders from PDP said we will sit together and work out the details of agendas and that is what I call as taking off the stage progress in talks and bringing them to a formal stage.”
“We will complete that in next week or in 10 days. Effort is to complete this process in 10 days with CMP. We have already worked out on bigger CMP’s.”
Madhav said CMP will have three main components: “development which is 80% of our CMP, 10% will be administrative issues , and another 10 will be political issues that you referred to, including issues like AFSPA, Article 370, cross-border trade.”
“I can’t predict what shape the issues will take finally. People of Valley respect Vajpayee ji and hope on Narendra Modis leadership are the two driving causes that is behind arrangement between the two parties.”