Deadlock over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir seems to have ended with PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti today calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a meeting which she described as “very positive” and “good” in addressing issues pertaining to the people of the state.
Mehbooba drove to the Prime Minister’s residence on Tuesday barely three days after PDP and BJP had hit a road block with BJP’s chief interlocutor Ram Madhav announcing that his party would not be accepting any fresh demands from its erstwhile ally PDP.
Mehbooba said: “The meeting with Prime Minister Modi was very positive. I will call a legislature party meeting on Thursday,” she said.
“With the stalemate (in J&K) continuing over 2-3 months, I felt positive after meeting with Prime Minister Modi,” she said.
With the BJP not ready to meet her conditions until the PDP returns the alliance to power, Mehbooba had left for New Delhi on Monday.
To a question whether the stalemate has ended, she said, “When you meet the Prime Minister of the country, naturally the solution to the problems faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir is more clear”.
Saying that she was satisfied with the talks, the PDP chief said she has called a Legislature Party meet of her party’s MLAs on Thursday where she will discuss the next step on government formation.
She will be flying back to Srinagar where she will brief her party legislators on Thursday. “I had been authorised by the party MLAs to take a decision. I have convened a meeting on Thursday and after that we will announce the future course of action.”
When asked further, Mehbooba said, “Naturally, when you meet the PM and have positive talks, the way is cleared for the resolution of problems being faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
On government formation in the state, she said, “As I said I will talk to my MLAs because that is the forum. This is not the place. There is a particular place to make such announcements. I will go back to Srinagar and take the next step.”
