No question of joining hands with BJP: Mehbooba

‘Bad governance of NC-Congress gave space to BJP’

 Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti Friday categorically ruled out joining hands with the BJP for the government formation in J&K in future.   
“BJP is totally out of question for us,” she said in an exclusive interview with Greater Kashmir. “The question doesn’t arise.”
 “Why should I come clean on this when there is nothing,” Mehbooba responded to the allegations leveled by National Conference that the PDP has tacit understanding with the right-wing party. 
In its election campaign for the parliament polls the National Conference as well as the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah repeatedly alleged that PDP fielded candidates for two LS seats in Jammu to “hand over an advantage to the BJP.”
Mehbooba, the MP-elect from South Kashmir today—for the first time—responded to the allegations. “It is ridiculous on their part to make such allegations. They paid the price for it. Why shouldn’t we fight election (from Jammu)? We are not a charity shop,” Mehbooba said.
She said since the Omar Abdullah-led Government “miserably failed” on delivery front and had nothing to talk about in election time, they leveled “obnoxious” allegations.
“…and people responded to their pathetic performance with vote against them even in their own pockets. We need not to respond beyond,” Mehbooba said. 
The PDP won all the three LS seats in Kashmir during the parliament polls, handing over a shocking defeat to National Conference. The party which represents 19 Assembly constituencies in State legislature more than doubled its tally to 39 segments in the parliament polls, winning 20 more segments including 15 constituencies which were won by NC in 2008 Assembly election.    
“They say we had understanding with BJP in Jammu and it became the reason for the loss of Congress there. But why did Omar lose all three seats in Kashmir? Why did they lose Ladakh? Whom will they blame for it? Instead of accepting their loss because of mis-governance, corruption and numerous other factors, they want to blame us,” Mehbooba said.
She instead blamed ruling National Conference for BJP’s winning three LokSabha seats in the State, two in Jammu and one Ladakh seat, for the first time.
Mehbooba said BJP had polarized the electorate in Jammu. “The Chief Minister and National Conference too polarized the situation with their agenda that was aimed at weakening the PDP in the region,” she alleged. 
“They pushed it too far that it hit the Congress too, forgetting that Congress can’t win in Jammu till the party gets non-Muslim votes,” Mehbooba said. “But people did not buy their agenda in Kashmir despite all efforts by the father-son duo (Farooq Abdullah and Omar).” 
Mehbooba said people voted in the LS polls taking into account both the performance of the Government and the opposition.
“Unfortunately they tried to play communal politics which backfired for them,” Mehbooba said.
She said her party would reach out to people during the Assembly elections to seek clear mandate.
“We will seek a complete mandate and educate people about the miserable performance of the present dispensation which resulted in BJP securing such large space in J&K,” Mehbooba said.