BJP’s claim finds few takers in JK

Saffron party said Rs 80,000-crore relief package part of CBMs

While the stalemate over government formation persists in the state, the BJP’s claim on Tuesday that the Rs 80,000 crore package was a part of confidence-building measures (CBMs) and a basis for government formation raised many eyebrows.
Most of the amount is a part of flood relief and ongoing Centrally sponsored projects. The BJP had made the claim of Rs 80,000 crore as a CBM when the PDP-BJP government was in place with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as the Chief Minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this package on November 7 last year. PDP sources said the BJP should get its timing right. The issue of CBMs within the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ arose after February 2, more than three weeks after Mufti’s death.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had demanded that the Government of India should support and accelerate the implementation of ‘Agenda of Alliance’ without any delay. She had taken up some important points like return of Salal and Uri power projects, smart city status for Jammu and Srinagar and free flow of funds for development.
The claim that Rs 80,000 crore was a part of CBMs for government formation was amusing for the PDP. It was ironical that on the one hand, the BJP was ‘beseeching’ the PDP to form the government and on the other, making such ‘outlandish’ claims, said PDP sources.
Soon after Mehbooba announced that she would honour her late father’s word, the BJP had claimed that the Prime Minister’s relief package of Rs 80,000 crore had already been announced.
“The BJP’s move comes at a time when the PDP chief, unconcerned about the package, has seemingly softened her stand and expressed the wish to step into her father’s shoes. Its petty demeanour to send this message to its ally has demeaned the saffron party’s wisdom,” said a BJP source.
The source added that such conduct would dent the party’s credibility whenever the state government was formed. Political experts dismissed the statement that Rs 80,000 crore could turn out to be the basis of government formation.
Had the Centre been serious about early government formation, it could have come to its coalition partner’s help when it lost the sitting Chief Minister, they said.
“Voting by 65.23 per cent of the electorate was an indicator of the state yearning for a democratically elected government,” said a political analyst.