Ties with PDP strong, says BJP

Dismisses rumours that it is exploring other options to form govt

A day after the Peoples Democratic Party cleared that it was not “in a hurry” to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party today said it was not exploring any other option on government formation and its alliance with the PDP was “strong”.
“We have not received any official communication (on government formation) from the PDP so far but our alliance with the PDP is strong and intact. We are not exploring any other possibility to form the government in the state,” said chief spokesperson of the state BJP Sunil Sethi.
Sethi, who is a noted lawyer by profession, also sought to dispel the notion that the BJP was desperate to form the government. “Neither the PDP nor the BJP is desperate to form the government. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has taken time and we understand the personal problems being faced by her in the wake of the extraordinary situation following the death of her father and sitting Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed,” he said.
The BJP leader’s statement assumes political significance amid the speculation that the National Conference, which has 15 members in the legislative Assembly, might form the government with the BJP if the PDP and the saffron party don’t stitch an alliance again.
NC president and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who had reportedly said his party would consider a tie-up with the BJP to form the government if it received any such proposal, yesterday clarified that his party had no intention of forming the government as it did not have the mandate.
“We are waiting for the response of the PDP to the situation and the BJP will act thereafter. Our prime objective is to give a good and stable government to the people of the state. And they will soon have a stable government,” he said, adding that there was no condition from either side on government formation.
PDP should clear its stand soon: BJP MLA
BJP MLA from Nowshera-Sunderbani constituency Ravinder Raina has said the PDP should clear its stand on government formation without any delay. “The PDP-BJP government will form the government in the state but the PDP should clear the air immediately in the wake of the prevailing political uncertainty in the state,” he said. He, however, said the BJP would not form the government by surrendering its core ideological issues and interests of Jammu people.